


Moirai

by Oldine



Series: Birches Grow [14]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 19:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 39,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10748148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oldine/pseuds/Oldine
Summary: What appeared to be another drug with bad side-effects leads to Gordon-Glen. Questions and bodies pile up. Did the corporation open pandora's box?





	1. Chapter 1

“Some things have to happen just the way they happen.”

Noah Bishop, Kay Hooper’s Bishop FBI series

 

**Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland**

**Saturday, September 19, 2020**

 

Keara Montfert:

When I thought my ability was defective, I wanted a better ability. I watched what being a psychic allowed the others at the Fellowship of Inner Peace to do, but never considered the consequences. Knowing the future was powerful. I’ve never had power before and had no idea what I was asking for.

Knowing the future is a burden. At times, it’s like being cursed. I know what’s coming. Not entirely, but enough. I know what has to happen. In some cases, I know why events were staged. It doesn’t matter that people I care about are going to be traumatized. Or that someone is going to die. I can do nothing. It has to happen. I’m not sure if that makes me a voyeur or an accessory. There is no understanding or forgiveness even from myself.

It gives me insight into the version of me that has done things I can’t comprehend. Our ability isn’t perfect. I don’t see everything. Even after all Other Keara has experienced, she doesn’t see everything. It’s the limitations that make it maddening. I don’t know when or where but I know that she failed to see and prevent the death of a woman she loved. A woman who accepted her unconditionally. That drove her to try and fix what went wrong. Somewhere along the way, different versions of that woman drove her to try fixing everything. She’s crazy.

What’s crazier is I know there is more than one other me involved. They saved me from a horrific life. That pain and horror and trauma made them capable of things I’ll never understand. My role is the group’s conscience. We can sense each other, and our motivations and frustrations. Different experiences gave us different perspectives. Although there are a few similarities.

Collectively we view people, and various versions through time and parallels, much the same way. John is a kindred spirit. He’s broken, lost and has done things for himself and others that no one will understand. He needed Anwen to save him from himself. Then he lost her. Much the same can be said about Aman. Except the current one has a better chance to be what he wants and not what’s expected. Idrissa has lost the love of his life and has settled into the role of widower honoring his martyred husband in a conflict he will never understand. General Williams is a warrior without a war trying to be something he has no idea how to be. And Jack. The inspiration to all of us. He’s trying to protect a world that isn’t his own in a way that honors The Doctor or the only friend who knows who Jack really is. Circumstances outside his control forced him to change. Much like a fairytale, he rose from humble beginnings to become arguably the most powerful man on the planet. Rather than crown himself king, he lives in a town most people haven’t heard of and spends his days making sure people worldwide are safe as he can make them.

Unlike Jack, we’re not on the front line. We’re playing chess. Like a game, it has rules. The universe spawns parallel universes based on major decisions. If a general has two options and one will win the war and the other will lose, a parallel universe will diverge from that moment. Everything prior to that decision in the parallels is the same. At some point, Other Keara realized that Jack changing this timeline was ignored by temporal law enforcement. Anything after Jack is free game. Which allows Other Keara, right or wrong, to test theories and make changes.

Knowing, justifying and accepting are very different concepts. As the group conscience, I’m the only one agonizing over ethical, moral and general considerations. I somehow have to live with the endless game where people are the pieces. They need me for my sanity as long as I can keep it.

 

**Southeast Asian Island; South of Vietnam**

From her mind’s eye, Keara watched one more pawn enter play beneath the terraformed paradise of colorful birds and playful mammals. An ancient labyrinth of catacombs reached down into the earth. A disruption jarred an aging hibernation pod. The hiss of air echoed through the store room followed by creaks and groans. The lid opened.

Groggy, the man pushed himself up and swung his legs over the edge. Dim light and stale air told him a lot of time passed while he was sleeping. The malfunctioning read-out indicated how long he’d slept, but not the location. As his mind cleared, he remembered why he entered the pod.

With any luck, his ship was nearby. He had the advantage. If the Time Agency knew where he was, they would have come for him already. They would pay for what they did to his father. They didn’t have a problem with his issues as long as he was useful. When they didn’t need him anymore, they killed him.

Keara felt for the angry, traumatized young man who was only a few years older than herself. His anger was directed at people who ceased to exist when their parallel universe was destroyed. Eventually, he would realize he was very far from home. She wanted to tell him it was over. That he could and would find peace. But she could do nothing for him. His actions were needed. Without realizing it, he would change the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Dmitri Petrescu was reminded he hadn’t tracked an alchemy offender in a long time. He had more information and resources, but the area was larger and possible hiding places were numerous. The process was at least the same. It started with getting as much information about the individual as possible. With the Internet and law enforcement databases, it was a lot to wade through. 

Marvyn Tew lived with his sister Mercia more often than not. The lamp wasn’t on the property or nearby properties. Other family members were deceased. There was no property other than house listed for the Tew family. Marvyn had few friends and none had it where they were staying. No bank boxes. No evidence of lockers or storage units. There was evidence of criminal connections. But nothing panned out.

What stood out was Marvyn’s probable connection to the Pierro group and the network of organizations committing genetic crimes in Cardiff. Every known location had been raided. While it was possible the lamp was overlooked, Dmitri doubted it. 

Marvyn needed a location that allowed him access but was unlikely to be disturbed. He had no known funds, and his sister set him up to die because of the lamp. Mercia would not have helped him hide it. Dmitri could only imagine a vacant property. Marvyn had to be confident no one would look there or use the property for anything.

Unsure of where to start, Dmitri headed for Ianto’s office. Both Ianto and John were working on projects. They knew the area better than he did. 

Dmitri stepped into the modified maintenance room. It had two desks, a work bench and a modified ballistic shield in the back corner used as a playpen. He wasn’t sure if that was to protect the kids from the projects or vice versa. Ianto was using a laptop, two tablets and notebook. John was modifying a mini maintenance bot on the work bench.

“Morning.”

“Busy,” Ianto said without looking up.

“Don’t get to0 close. The destabilizer charges are unstable.”

“Marvyn Tew situation.” Dmitri explained what he knew. “Is there anywhere he could have reasonably assumed was safe from Torchwood?”

Ianto looked up. “Yeah.”

“The house,” John said.

 

** (abandoned house); Cardiff, Wales **

John Hart crouched next to a large tree and reviewed scan details from his wrist-strap. It wasn’t the first time he envied the general’s wrist strap modifications Jack and Dr. Sarkisian designed. It organized information differently and provided holographic blueprints.

“What’s the story with this place?” Dmitri stood behind the tree. 

“It was used for an ambush.” From the readings, John suspected the drug technology was still in place. “Jack sealed up the house afterward, but the seal had been broken.”

Dmitri nodded.

“I have to go in alone.” John stood. “If you lose contact, you need to call Jack. Do not follow me into that house.”

“I can handle myself.”

“Dmitri, that house left Gwen in therapy for months.” If Jack had to come for him, and something happened, they’d deal with it. The doctor would wind up on Rhawn Glas’ sofa or swallowing his gun. 

Hoping the doctor would listen, John crossed to the backyard to the door. The old manual lock took minimal effort to get through. Which fit for the age of the house. Tew likely used other defenses. He scanned the house again and saw the same indications of concealed technology. His wrist-strap wouldn’t necessarily recognize alchemy. He might not either. Dmitri needed to check the house, but John had to clear it first. Part of that involved being a canary. Walking through the first floor did yield a few possibles. John photographed them.

Memories of Mercia Tew’s house were forefront in his mind. The device she used to kill her attackers was believed to be one of her brother’s creations. Using a Victorian lamp and gears, he created a bomb capable of killing multiple people without damaging the structure. How Marvyn died would have been poetic, if the general took him out instead of the boy.

John’s mobile rang. “Hey.”

“The wall hanging. Check the frame for words, glyphs or some type of inscription. Don’t touch it.”

“Why?” John returned to the small room. He’d photographed an old lava lamp sitting on a rotten doily without giving the home sweet home embroidery a second thought. He should have realized it was in good condition despite the rest of the house. “There are words carved into the wood. Probably with a pocket knife. It could be Welsh.”

“Photograph it for Ianto.”

“It wouldn’t be legible.”

Dmitri exhaled. “It’s probably a ward and activated by contact. Marvyn imbued artifacts with his emotions. According to Icelus, he wanted power. Whatever it does, it’s ugly.”

John could have guessed that without the consult. “What do I do with it?”

“Nothing.” Dmitri hesitated. “Items used to create alchemy are part of the end result as much as intent.”

“Marvyn had a bad sense of humor.” John looked around the room with that in mind. “There is a mousetrap in the corner. I’ve seen three or four of them.”

Then he heard a thumping sound followed by a low growl. John couldn’t help but picture a large cat. “You said he could have a construct. Could it be some type of cat?”

“In theory,” Dmitri said.

“I will call back.” Jack tapped end and returned the phone to his pocket.

The sounds increased. He’d seen large cats on several worlds and under various circumstances. Creating an alchemy cat, if it really was, said a lot about Marvyn Tew. Cats stalked and often played with their intended victims. The creature stepped into the doorway. Although made of brass pieces and gears, it looked feline. The thumping sound was it swishing its tail. The growl appeared to be a build up of purple energy beneath its head.

John tried a destabilizer blast. It had no effect. If anything, the sickly purple was increasing. His next thought was telekinesis. But the ability came through Anwen and Marvyn would have known about it. Creating the lamp affected Anwen’s primary Rift ability and required knowing a lot about Anwen. Instead, he telekinetically threw the framed home sweet homeward at the creature. It screamed liked grinding metal. Her threw the mouse trap and the lava lamp next. The house shook as the metal grinding increased and the energy exploded, destroying the construct and part of the floor.

His mobile rang again. “I blew up the construct.”

Dmitri hesitated. “How?”

John explained.

“You’re insane.”

“Yeah.” John moved slowly toward the damaged floor trying to get a look in the basement. “Large metal lattice with glowing energy.” That one didn’t require much thought. He backed away from the hole. If the cat was any indication, he didn’t have much time. The boarded up window was the only option he could think of.

“John?”

“Run. The house is going to explode.” John slammed his shoulder into the rotting plywood and fell outside. A growling sound filled the air as he ran. When it went, the explosion launched him. John hit the ground with a thud. 

A few minutes later, Dmitri crouched next to him. “Lie still.”

“How bad?”

“I don’t know. But the burns are healing.”

“The fused Nanogenes.” 

Dmitri hesitated. “I have no idea what using an alchemy device on alien technology will do.”

It wasn’t the immediate problem. “Call Jack. This is a Torchwood hazmat situation.” 


	3. Chapter 3

** (homeless shelter); Cardiff, Wales **

** Saturday, November 7, 2020 **

Ianto Jones stepped into the office. Eira Fithan, the head of the charity, asked one of the kids to find him. He couldn’t help but worry. When he first approached her about volunteering in mid-September, she’d been skeptical. His connection to Torchwood hadn’t helped. Nor the fact that he insisted on wearing a shoulder holster off-duty. She asked him a lot of questions and interviewed him twice before she agreed. What she hadn’t explained, and he hadn’t known how to ask, was what concerned her. While his background was completely fictitious, it was solid. He had legitimate references. 

“Have a seat.” The sixty-something woman motioned to a chair across the desk

Ianto felt like he’d been summoned to the principal’s office. He’d been a troubled teenager. Then he would have stared defiantly. Now he worried he’d lose the one thing that was keeping him sane. With Kylia back in her universe, and Gwen wanting to spend more time with her kids, his days were lonely and quiet. Working with the homeless, particularly the children, helped. Torchwood showed him the worst parts of life. He needed something different.

“I asked when you first volunteered if there was another reason for you being here.” 

He claimed a chair across from her. “No. I wanted the opportunity to contribute to our community.”

She passed three photographs across the table. “Do you know these girls?”

Ianto flipped through the pictures. “No.” They weren’t recent Torchwood cases. 

“Bethany Powles, Elain Crowder and Meaghan Pembroke. Meaghan is sixteen. Beth and Elain are seventeen. While we don’t officially accept teenage runaways, we do have a few that stay on occasion. Calling social services wouldn’t help. They ran away from care.”

“Did something happen?”

Eira sighed. “They’re missing. I’ve been on the phone all morning with shelters and other charities in the area.” She handed him a legal pad. “There has been an increase in missing street kids. Unfortunately, kids disappear. Street kids are high risk. Kids disappear from care homes for various reasons. A disproportionate percentage are girls.”

Ianto looked at the list of names. He didn’t recognize any of them. “Anything connecting them?”

“Lost, scared, desperate girls. There are rumors. Social workers investigate accusations against foster parents. Most are false or exaggerated. They don’t catch everything.”

The Sisters in Birmingham came to mind. Gwen would need to call and ask. “Do you have dates?”

“No.”

“Are the police investigating?”

“No. Filing a missing persons report on a homeless person is pointless. Even if the police believe the person is missing, it’s difficult to confirm. They have  better things to do.”

Ianto nodded. He also suspected the girls would be arrested, if the police found them. “I’m not familiar with missing person statistics specific to children. How unusual is this?”

“I don’t have a solid answer. But the last time I saw something like this, a cult was forming. Except that group targeted females over sixteen. Whatever is happening applies to younger children as far as I can tell. The bottom name there is a five-year-old who disappeared from care. An anonymous 999 caller led to the foster parents being arrested. But the girl hasn’t been found.”

“Do you have details?”

Eira hesitated. “I don’t want to get my contact in trouble.”

“Few people ask Torchwood where we get our information.” Jack could handle deflecting any questions.

She held her hand out for the pad and Ianto handed it back. 

“Is there anything else that you know about? Even if it doesn’t sound connected.”

Eira finished writing. “There is a vigilante targeting criminals committing crimes against women. Muggers, rapists, abusers. Witnesses haven’t cooperated with the police. Whoever is doing it went down the dangerous John list from a local Mary Magdalene charity. The police tried to get the nuns to stop distributing it.” 

“Hospital or morgue?”

“Both. I don’t have specifics.”

“Any idea when it started?”

“Six months ago.” Eira sounded uncertain. 

 

** Hughes Flats **

Jack Harkness parked Gwen’s car and headed into the building. The sudden change in plans had him worried. Ianto reminded him that morning they had reservations. He suspected Ianto waited until after the scheduled conference call with London to text him. Not knowing nagged as he took the elevator to the fourth floor.

The flat smelled of coffee and Chinese takeaway. Ianto was using the kitchen table. A laptop, tablet, and notebook sat next to a large mug of coffee. Kylia’s belongings had been packed up and donated, but Ianto refused to use the office if he could avoid it. Jack slipped his coat off and hung it on the rack by the door.

“Everything all right?” Jack asked as Ianto stepped out of the office. 

“He keeps drinking my coffee.” Ianto motioned at the cat stretched out on the table.

Jack nodded. “You canceled dinner because your cat’s a jerk?”

Russell hissed at him.

“Eira Fithan gave me a case. I’m not sure what it is yet.” Ianto absently petted the cat. 

Jack walked around the table. “It’s urgent?”

“I don’t know. Best case scenario is the Sisters increased their relocation program locally. I asked Gwen to call.”

“You had me worried.” Jack reached up, sliding his fingertips over Ianto’s jaw.

“Feeling guilty?”

Jack leaned in and kissed him. “I’d rather feel you.”

“You need to see what I have.”

Jack smiled. “That’s the idea.” 

“That’s bad.” Ianto reached for the notebook on the table. “I don’t know if it’s a Torchwood case.”

“What do we know?” 

“Missing kids. The youngest is five.”

That explained dinner being canceled. “MO?”

“I don’t know. I can’t prove most of the possibles are missing. Homeless, runaways, missing from care.”

“The five-year-old?”

Ianto met his eyes. “Mom OD’d. Dad is wanted for multiple felonies and was last seen in Amsterdam.” Ianto shook his head. “Foster parents are in jail for drugs after a 999 call. They claim Dera disappeared overnight, and only found out when the police woke them. No evidence. No witnesses. The girl’s social worker is convinced the child was taken, saying she’s fearful and prone to hiding. The police went through the house checking for possible hiding spots. They brought in a dog.”

“What are the police saying?”

Ianto exhaled loudly. “The lead investigator suspected the foster parents sold Dera or traded her for drugs. After weeks, the DC’s arrested a dozen drug dealers and has nothing to support the suspicion.”

“Any we can follow up on?”

“No. There is a vigilante that disables CCTV as easily as we do. Possible explanation for the 999 call. Any case connected to the vigilante or missing kids leads nowhere. It’s believed the vigilante is a woman. Dr. Floyd and A&E doctors have commented on injuries associated with the vigilante suggest she doesn’t have a solid understanding of human physiology.”

That suggested an alien. The injuries might identify the type. “Do you have a medical report?”

Ianto grabbed the tablet off the table and handed it to him.

Jack quickly skimmed through Dr. Floyd’s comments. “She doesn’t know what planet she’s on. These would be fatal injuries to a humanoid species on the other side of the galaxy.” Jack read the details again. “She should be able to tell the difference.”

Ianto’s mobile chimed. He checked the new message. “From Gwen. The Sisters claim they aren’t involved.”

“Is there a location we can check?”

“No. There has to be something.”

“I will ask John to check the local black market.” He’d been helping Dmitri track possible alchemy devices since house explosion because John had a better understanding of moving illegal merchandise. 


	4. Chapter 4

** Williams Haulage; Cardiff, Wales **

** Wednesday, November 11, 2020 **

Returning to work still felt strange. After two years at Atmore, Rhys Williams viewed things differently. People there supported one another. They were reliable. Having an employee suddenly quit without notice or explanation with a message on the answering machine was yet another reminder of the differences. 

He parked the van outside the office. The thoughtless former employee forced him to reschedule deliveries. It was after 7 PM before he finished. The dark windows said his assistant left already. As he was checking for his keys to unlock the door, he heard a struggle. 

Following the sounds around the building, he saw a woman struggling with a larger man. It looked like he was trying to force her into the car. “Hey,” Rhys yelled. The man hesitated, looking at him. The woman took the opportunity to fight back but was unable to escape. She was knocked into the car with a thud. “Torchwood.”

“Yeah, right,” the man yelled back. “Fuck off.”

As Rhys reached for his gun, a person emerged from the alley across the street. He wasn’t certain, but at the distance, he thought it was a tall woman. She grabbed the man by the back of his head and slammed it into the car. Rhys grabbed his mobile instead. The other woman left as quickly as she appeared.

“Ma’am.” Rhys hand out in front of him as he waited for Gwen to answer. “Do you need an ambulance?”

She shook her head.

“Can you step away from the car? I need to check the arse.”

“He attacked me.” She sounded terrified and young. Rhys had no idea what the young woman was doing in the area. Most offices were closed. Unless she was new, she didn’t work in any neighboring business.

“I’m calling for help.” He removed his mobile.

“Hey. When are you heading back?”

“There was an attempted abduction by the office. The woman is safe. Her attacker needs an ambulance.” Rhys crouched by the man. The head injury looked serious, and the man’s pulse was weak. “I don’t know what I walked up on. It could be that vigilante Ianto mentioned.”

“Are you safe? That woman dropped three bodies in the last week.”

“She’s gone.” The vigilante attacked criminals targeting women. He had nothing to worry about.

 

Gwen Cooper parked behind a police cruiser. From what the uniform said on the phone a few minutes earlier, the ambulance had come and gone. The victim had had to be transported to the A&E after all. The current assessment was an impulsive crime. She couldn’t help but think it was an odd location. Nothing in the area was open to the public that time of night and Rhys didn’t recognize her. Most of the women who worked in the various commercial transport and warehouse businesses were older or related to the owners. 

During the three months Rhys was missing, she’d had to regularly check in on the business and coordinate with his assistant who held on the best she could trying to manage the business in his absence. Gwen knew the area.

“Cooper.” Dante, a constable in his thirties called to her. She couldn’t remember his last name.

“Hey. Anything to worry about?”

“Not for you.” Dante exhaled sharply. “I’ve been told to inform you that it is not Torchwood jurisdiction.” 

“Cowley?”

“Yep.”

She wondered if that was anything she had to worry about. Jack reassessed the situation with DC Cowley after Jodi was murdered. Cowley’s behavior was a lot more than a dislike for Torchwood. Given the various factions they knew had contacts within area law enforcement, it could be any number of conflicts. Jack hadn’t been able to determine specifics.

“Where’s Rhys?”

“His office. He’s been calling around to find out which business the young woman is connected to.” Dante hesitated. “I think she’s an escort. An inexperienced one. I know women should be able to walk wherever they want, but that isn’t realistic. She shouldn’t have been out here alone. If she’s a sex worker, she should have known that.”

“Why do you think she’s an escort?”

“Big bag with extra clothes and party favors.”

That justified the suspicion. It didn’t make it true. “Did anyone say that to her?”

“No. The woman got attacked trying to get into her car. I don’t care if she was playing dress up for money. It’s the only reason I can think she was out here.”

“Did anyone knock on doors?”

Dante held up his hands. “Based on cars and lights. Other than Rhys, we found four other people in area businesses. We’re checking CCTV footage, but there are lights out and malfunctioning cameras.” He sighed. “Unless she was shagging the eighty-year-old while his granddaughter was filling out paperwork, there is something weird going on.”

“Who were the other two?”

Dante checked his notes. “Juston Chapell, a fifty-something business owner in a wheelchair and his former army nurse carer. I got the impression he was gay and she’s not. Josephine Craycraft wanted to know if we have a picture of the guy. She felt it was likely he was connected to one of the area businesses.”

Gwen agreed. “This isn’t a retail area. There isn’t a lot of foot traffic.” She couldn’t help but think about the good Samaritan. There wasn’t any reason for her to be in the area either. “Anything on the vigilante?”

“No. The victim said she did not get a good look at the woman.” Dante didn’t believe that. “With the lighting and the distance, it’s a wonder Rhys knew she was a woman.”

“If we find anything, we will offer Cowley the same cooperation he offers Torchwood.”

Dante smiled. “From what I hear, he does a lot more than  cooperate with Captain Harkness.”

They could thank Dr. Floyd for that ridiculous rumor. What no one at the hub could figure out was why Cowley didn’t squash it. From what they knew of Cowley, he was straight and had no gay friends. They weren’t sure what his connection to Jodi was, but that was a lot different than letting people think he was sleeping with Jack.

Gwen shrugged.

 

Eleven-year-old Anwen Williams told Ianto she was going to check on John. His flat was on the fourth floor with Uncle Jack and Ianto. She could sense his turmoil from across the hall. He had to go farther than London or Dublin to affect their connection. Canada lessened the connection. Although they had figured out how to close it off for a few hours.

She knocked. After a few minutes, he answered. John could sense her just as easily and would know she wasn’t going away. “What’s wrong?” She stepped into the flat behind him.

“Long day.” John headed back toward the sofa.

Anwen closed the door. “Ken or Dawn?”

“Yeah.”

“Ianto said Dawn’s doing better since you destroyed the lamp. He wasn’t sure why.”

John laid down.

“What happened?” She crossed the room slowly.

“Nothing.”

“You’re bored?” She suspected it was a lot more than that.

John hesitated. “I’m trapped.”

“Take Ken for a weekend somewhere. London, Edinburgh. Dmitri can babysit Dawn.”

“I’m not Ianto.”

Anwen nodded. “Hunting trip? I’m pretty sure Ken would object to shooting Bambi, though. The whole works at the Disney store thing.”

“Bambi?”

“Bambi’s a deer. Kiddie horror movie. Starts with hunters shooting Bambi’s mom.”

“That’s disturbing.”

Anwen chuckled. “So what type of vacations do Time Agents like?”

John shook his head. “On the list of things your mother would shoot me for.”

Anwen laughed. “Talk to Uncle Jack. He’ll find something for you to do. If nothing else, he has a friend named Cory. Ianto thinks he’s a bad influence.” She wasn’t sure how that was possible. “Cory would have suggestions for holiday ideas in London my mother wouldn’t approve of.”


	5. Chapter 5

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

** Thursday, November 12, 2020 **

Dmitri Petrescu headed for Jack’s office carrying a notepad and an old book. He spent most of yesterday and half the night sorting through boxes from the former alchemy lab that had been turned into a bedroom. The soul lamp was creepy although he couldn’t sense it. The inventory really made him wonder. The alchemist was focused on enhancing scientific equipment. There was nothing questionable or dangerous. A journal led him to look through storage and found an alchemy-related occult library. The information was impressive.

“Good morning.” Dmitri stepped through the opening door into the office.

“Were you here all night?” Jack asked absently. He sat behind his desk reviewing something on a tablet.

“Yeah. Reviewing the alchemy lab was time-consuming.”

Jack looked up. “You found something.”

“That prophecy Idrissa mentioned is about alchemy.” Dmitri set the book on the desk. “The temple and desert could mean any number of things. The tablet of kings is a large construct similar to what John described seeing in that house before it exploded. The abyss could be evil or it could be space. The language of the gods could mean anything from ancients to aliens or even Hebrew.”

“What do you think?” Jack set his hands in front of him.

“I think the prophecy is about John. There is probably a child involved. From what we have from Idrissa and the Refuge, the twins’ visions require filtering through perception issues. Add to it they were four at the time.” Dmitri looked down at his notes. “I think that house was the temple. John bled after blowing up the tablet. John was sent back in time by a woman who loved him. He was born in space. He speaks multiple languages. The power of the gods could be the Rift ability or an affect caused by the explosion.”

“’A child born to parents who have not met.’” Jack quoted. 

“I don’t know. The two child references might not be John. ‘Met’ could be the four-year-old interpretation of sex. John’s DNA could have been stolen. Or ‘met’ could involve not knowing the mother’s name.”

“Dragon?”

Dmitri shook his head. “Too many possibilities.”

“The prediction would have to have a point.”

“That’s another problem. Psychics come in different types. From my own experience, their ability to see the future is limited to a certain thing. Some predict death. Some know when their friends need them. Keara, the one in Dublin, and the other one involved with changing the past are something I haven’t seen. It defies everything I know about psychics.”

“You need a frame of reference?”

Dmitri nodded. “Yeah. What do you know about the kids? Not their ability.”

“Not much.” Jack took a moment to think. “Their much older half-brother took them in because their parents think they’re mentally ill. Their parents might be afraid of them.”

“Have they had any problems at the Refuge?”

“Not that I know of.”

“If they were having parent problems at the time, it could be something about parents. John said he doesn’t have kids. Or none he knows about.” Dmitri paused. “How would John react to finding out he’s a father?”

“I don’t know. He’s considered the possibility after what happened in Nova Scotia.”

 

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

When Ken Phillips allowed a gorgeous, charming older man to pick him up in a bar more than a year earlier, he had no idea where that would lead. He wanted something more than a one-off, but never seemed to find the right guy or situation. Then he met John. A jumble of emotions and turmoil followed. The relationship had been off more than on. But something about John kept him hoping.

Whatever Ken expected, it wasn’t getting involved with Torchwood. Moving into the building owned by Captain Harkness was unexpected. At least Torchwood’s intentions were clear. Dawn needed someone to keep an eye on her despite the obvious conflict she had with the Torchwood team. Ken couldn’t help but suspect the baby’s father was part of Torchwood. It had to be the reason for the disconnect between protectiveness and the uneasiness over Dawn’s presence.

“How did they talk you into this?” Dawn asked that first day.

He explained his connection to Torchwood through John and opted not to mention what happened at St. David’s mall. Although understandable, being hospitalized for psychology reasons was not something he wanted to discuss. 

After awhile, it seemed normal. With his sisters he’d seen pregnant and the range of complicated and crazy that went with it. Despite being sick, Dawn was mellow. Sad, lonely and confused, but mellow. They were quick friends. Running for ice cream or calling Dr. Petrescu at 2 AM for advice wasn’t a big deal.

“I was called into work,” Ken explained “A few hours. You can ride with me. We can have a late lunch.”

Dawn looked uncertain. The self-confident woman had faded. Whatever the situation was with Torchwood, it was hard on her. She wouldn’t talk about. “I don’t want to cause problems.”

“It’s not a problem. I need to start thinking about Christmas presents.” Ianto had an idea about a party for everyone in the building. 

Dawn hesitated.

“The store got these adorable plushies last week.”

“I ask too much.”

Ken sat on the sofa next to her. “No. I don’t mind shopping.”

“You see women and kids all day at work.”

Ken smiled. “When I applied for the job, the manager asked me if I understood. She said I would deal with women and misbehaving kids all day long. And everyone would assume I was gay for working in a Disney store.” He paused. “I grew up in a female household. Mom, and three older sisters. Dad took off when I was a baby. I have crashed on my sisters’ sofas when they were pregnant and they needed help. I don’t mind women and with eight nieces and nephews, I have a lot of experience with pregnant women.” He set a hand on hers. “Jack knew that when he asked me be your roommate.”

“I feel worthless. I can’t work. I whine about everything.”

Ken squeezed her hand. “It’ll get better. Get your coat. Some retail therapy will help.”


	6. Chapter 6

** Red Dragon Centre; Cardiff, Wales **

Ianto Jones stepped into the coffee shop and hesitated. Anxiety flares were few and far between, but he couldn’t help but remember the attempted robbery and the chaos that followed. The same cashier was behind the counter; she smiled at him. He’d spoken to her a couple times since then. He ordered his usual. 

Laren was already seated at a table against the far wall. The elderly woman was impossible to miss. She preferred bright colored clothes. She’d chosen the spot so they could both have their backs to walls and see the room. Part of it was consideration for his problems. She didn’t talk about it, but she had her own.

“The cashier thinks you’re cute.” 

“Did you see the news about…”

“Yeah. Are you okay being in here?”

Ianto sipped his coffee. “She thinks I’m James Bond.”

“A bad ass in a suit.” Laren smiled. “Does she know about Jack?”

“Yeah. She asked me if he was hot while we were hiding behind the counter. I said he was.” Ianto shrugged.

Laren laughed. “And she still hits on you?” 

Ianto gave it a moment. “The office is crazy right now. The case in Forest Farm from a couple days ago.”

“I read about that to.” Her humor faded. “I appreciate you meeting with me.” She looked at her hands cupping her coffee. “After the problem with my sister’s husband, I signed up for the foster care program. I have time and money and…” She signed. “I’m good with kids. I’ve got a lot of experience. But the child I have right now, he has something going on with him. The social worker implied she’d failed to place him in a religious home. I took that to mean he had an issue with Catholicism.”

“What happened?”

“Little things. When he stared off into space, I just figured he had problems. Goodness knows care is Hell on kids and none of them enter the program from good situations. Then things started getting moved. He wasn’t stealing anything. I wouldn’t find anything in his room. But things I always kept in the same place were somewhere else. I thought the boy was exerting control or something. Then I started hearing things move. Doors would open and close. Furniture would be at odd angles or whatever. I mentioned it to the kid’s psychiatrist.” She shook her head. “Have you ever watched a chair move across a room by itself? I checked it for rigging. But he doesn’t build things or disassemble radios.”

“You think he’s haunted?” 

“It sounds crazy, I know. He’s a cute, quiet little boy. He doesn’t yell or talk back. He behaves better than my sister’s grandkids.” Laren closed her eyes. “The whispers started on Tuesday. Or maybe I just didn’t hear them before.” Pause. “I know I’m flighty. I prefer not to take anything seriously I don’t have to. But there is something going on with this kid. I called his social worker yesterday and asked her if there was anything she hadn’t told me. She asks if I wanted him moved.” Laren opened her eyes. “I don’t want to toss him out. I want to know what’s going on.”

Ianto doubted it was as simple as a haunting. Best case scenario might be a Rift ability or other psychic ability. There were ancients and aliens. Then he remembered the Neal family case files. Bree’s family thought their house was haunted. It was a stretch, but if there was even a remote chance, they couldn’t risk. Bree’s family had been murdered and Torchwood had been unable to determine the cause of death.

“I need to call Jack. We will check your house. I need the child’s name, his social worker, and any doctors/teachers or other people who interact with him. Including other children.” Ianto removed a notebook and pen from his inner pocket. “Birthday and parents’ names too.”

“Thank you.” She started writing.

Ianto needed to call Nessa. Despite his connection to Lewella, he knew very little about area abilities not associated with the Rift. They might need information from Colina Dove, Nessa’s aunt. He would likely be the one to talk to her. Colina didn’t like Gwen for some reason, and Bree was at the Refuge in Kenya indefinitely.

 

Torchwood Three

John Hart stepped into Jack’s office. Dmitri called about a case but didn’t say much. After seeing the police report for Forest Farm, he accessed the Torchwood file. The reference to George the Dragon and the reptile-like claw marks reminded him of the prophecy Idrissa mentioned. The whole attack on the wedding appeared to be engineered to make them aware of it. According to the general, Idrissa’s sisters were psychic but unstable. Interpreting their visions was complicated by psychological problems and accuracy was uncertain. 

Jack looked up from a tablet on his desk. “Dmitri’s packing equipment.”

“He told me to talk to you. This isn’t about Forest Farm?”

Jack smiled. “No.”

“A new case?” Anwen mentioned missing children. She’d overheard Ianto talking to Gwen. That involved interviewing nuns and visiting homeless shelters. 

“A ghost hunt.”

“Ghosts?” John crossed his arms.

“Laren, a friend from a social group, has concerns about her foster son. Moving objects and furniture. Opening and closing doors.”

“Ha ha.”

“You need to look up the Breanna Neal file prior to leaving. We have nothing connecting the case to Bree. It’s the only case I know of where harmless  haunting activity preceded a Torchwood situation was Bree’s family.”

“Any indication of haunting with the missing kids?” John asked

“No. But we have no witnesses who aren’t involved somehow. We can’t ask the foster parents anything that would give them a possible defense.”

“Do we have victim profiles on the missing children?”

“Partial,” Jack replied. “Ianto has been working on it. We don’t have enough information on most of the kids.”

Nor a solid victim list. Street kids were hard to track. “Have shelters outside of Cardiff been checked?”

“Yeah. Officially, the charities can’t transport minors. But teenage boys have been relocated to London shelters. The Sisters are concerned that homeless girls are moving toward Cardiff, not away.”

Shit. “Cult?”

“Best guess currently.”

 

** Laren McDougall’s House **

Dmitri Petrescu parked Ianto’s car in front of the house. If anyone asked, they were cleaning her carpets. The mini maintenance bot in the backseat was nicknamed Roomba after a vacuum cleaner. It fit. As he had no idea how modern vacuum cleaners worked, he hoped no one asked.

“What is eye candy expecting us to find?”

Dmitri couldn’t help himself. “Why do you call Ianto that?”

“It’s a long story,” John hedged.

“He’s dating your ex?”

“Originally. Now it means I’m annoyed with him.”

Dmitri had an uneasy feeling as soon as Ms. McDougall opened the door. The device on his wrist wasn’t indicating. Nothing about the owner or the house stood out immediately. 

Dmitri waited until the door closed behind them. “Ma’am.” He hesitated. “Do you have any magical items, unusual antiques, or alien technology in the house?”

“No.” She looked at John briefly.

“Did you see everything the boy brought with him?”

“Yeah. He barely had anything.”

Dmitri took a moment. “Anything other than clothes?”

“Why?”

Dmitri had no idea how to explain that. Culture had changed a lot since the days he learned to investigate. Even asking for Torchwood to review her house didn’t mean Ms. McDougall believed in the paranormal. After everything that happened, people didn’t necessarily believe in aliens. “I specialize in oddities.”

“Uh. He has an old superhero toy.”

He hoped that wasn’t it. “Can I see it?”

“Yeah.”

John said, “I’ll do scans.”

Ms. McDougall led him through the house. The boy’s room was in the back. With Ianto’s investigation into the missing kids, he’d heard a lot of foster care nightmare stories. His childhood hadn’t been fun either. The small bedroom she provided said a lot about her. It had toys and books and a thick bedspread.

“He keeps it under his pillow.”

Dmitri crossed the small room to check the toy. He did not want to take a child’s prized possession. He lifted the pillow and checked. It thankfully wasn’t the figurine. Relieved, he remade the bed. Then he looked around. Nothing felt off. 

“What are you looking for?”

Dmitri wasn’t sure. “Something about your house makes me uncomfortable.”


	7. Chapter 7

** Christmas Market; Cardiff, Wales **

** Saturday, November 14, 2020 **

Anwen Williams wandered through the booths. The crowd made her a bit anxious. Knowing her Rift ability worked again helped. She didn’t have to worry about psychos and lamps anymore. Or every day arses either. She hated being an easy target. The fact that Trefor had to take out Tew still bothered her. Her brother needed her to protect him. Interacting with the general proved that. 

Focus , she grumbled. She had presents to buy. Her mum gave her money to buy something for Trefor and dad. Ianto was planning a Christmas party and gave her money for presents in general. John gave her money to buy Ken something as he no idea what to get. 

A display of baby clothes caught her attention. From what she overheard Ken say, Dmitri determined Dawn’s baby was a boy and expected in January. No one said it, but she knew her dad had had an affair, and from the odd behavior around Dawn the new baby was her half-brother. Trefor had been so cute when he was born. Mum bought practical stuff. She and dad picked out everything else. Anwen smiled at a small, blue bunting with teddy bears pattern and a newborn tag. The price was a bit high, but she’d found the perfect present for Trefor on sale. 

That left most of her list. Gifts for her mum and dad would require a trip to a hardware store. A gag gift would work for Jack. Ianto would appreciate humorous. Luc needed a bookstore gift certificate. A music download card worked for Eryn. She had no ideas for Ken and Dmitri. The general would have to settle for a card. 

A display of household decorations distracted her. A set of mugs displayed with a his-and-her-sign made her laugh. “I make coffee” and “I drink coffee.” They would work for Ianto.

“Parents?” The woman asked bagging her purchase.

“Uncle. One makes a lot of coffee for his co-workers. It’s a running joke.”

“Family business?” She handed the bag across the table.

“Yeah.” Torchwood Three was a big, happy, dysfunctional family. “Thank you.”

Anwen was trying to decide what booth to check next when her mobile rang. Her dad was looking for her. “Hello.”

“Where are you?”

“At the Christmas Market.” She could just picture the annoyance on his face.

“We’re near the Catholic bookstore booth.”

Before she could respond, she felt something like a portal device. Then she sensed him. The combination of Rift energy and chronons was impossible to miss. Her first thought was time agent. Except her uncle and John said no more would come to Earth. 

“Anwen?”

“Dad,” she said carefully, “Get mum and Trefor out of here. I don’t know how to explain. I’m going to call Uncle Jack.”

“What?”

“Dad, go now!” She hoped he’d listen but doubted he would.

Anwen looked around the area hoping to see the man. Uncle Jack couldn’t sense energy like she could and needed a description. Surprisingly, the man walked up to her. He looked vaguely familiar. She dialed Uncle Jack and kept her hand over the speaker.

“I was wondering if you could help me find someone,” the man said quietly. If he didn’t have energy, she wouldn’t have thought twice bout him.

“What, no puppy?” 

“You’re wearing his wrist-strap,” the man stated. 

“No clue what that is. My dad’s waiting for me.”

“I just need to know where he is.”

“You’ve got the wrong kid. Now get away or I’m going to scream.” Or throw your arse in the Rift.

“Why did he give you his wrist-strap?”

Anwen gave up on the kid routine and looked the man straight in the eyes. “You will get the fuck away from me, or you will find out why my parents aren’t concerned that I’m walking around by myself.”

“Is John Hart alive?”

Anwen continued to stare at him. After a couple minutes, the man walked away. With unsteady hands, she lifted the phone to her ear. “Uncle Jack.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Did you hear that.”

“Describe him.”

Anwen did. “There are security cameras all over the place.” She looked around for a landmark. “There is a booth with really old theater posters in the direction he walked.”

“Head for the car park. No short cuts.”

“Going now. Please call…” She didn’t want to say "John." The man could be listening.

 

Jack Harkness called Gwen first. He gave her a quick summary of what had happened. The wrist-strap reference and Anwen’s fear said a lot. When they were safe, he would ask more questions. 

“What are we dealing with?” Gwen asked.

“I don’t know.” 

“Find out.” Gwen was angry. He couldn’t blame her. She would bring her family to the hub until they could figure out what happened. 

Jack called Ken next, hoping he wasn’t at work. He and Dawn were at the building. Jack didn’t know what to say other than there was a problem and they needed to stay inside until it could be determined what.

Calling John would be worse. As he listened to it ring, he wondered how the man found Anwen instead. Their wrist-straps were nearly identical. “Hart.”

Jack explained what he knew.

“No idea.” John sounded concerned. “I added shielding and a few modifications to my wrist-strap after the explosion.”

“You need to modify Anwen when she gets here.”

“Yeah. You and the general need to modify yours also.”

Jack then sent messages. He wrote a quick email to the general asking for ideas. Whatever problems he had with the future version of his son, he knew the general wouldn’t endanger Anwen. He’d call later. As a safety precaution, he sent Ianto and Dmitri text messages telling them there was a possible safety threat. From what Ianto said earlier, he was getting more Christmas decorations. Dmitri was probably at a library. If they saw anything, they’d call in. Otherwise, they’d return to the hub.


	8. Chapter 8

** Trahaym Bach Historical Society; Cardiff, Wales **

** Sunday, November 15, 2020 **

Jack Harkness parked the van. A lot had happened in the last two weeks. All seemingly unrelated. While he knew coincidences happened, even outrageous ones that defied the odds and common sense, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility there was some type of connection. They had no idea what devices were destroyed in the explosion. Anwen had her ability back, so they assumed the lamp. They’d seen various chain reactions since Midsummer the previous year. Some may have been intentionally caused. That begged the question of how the destruction of the house could lead to what they’d seen. Except the missing kids and vigilante started before the house explosion. Reluctantly, he had to accept that didn’t mean anything. The destruction of Three apparently caused past and future events.

“Jack.” Dmitri looked concerned. “This is the second inspection in less than a week. Did you have these problems before I returned.”

“No.”

“An expert on alchemy shows up and suddenly you have a lot of problems with alchemy.”

“I think that’s why you’re here.” Jack opened the door and stepped into the car park.

Dmitri nodded. “Yeah. But if the person who brought me here can manipulate time and whatever else, why couldn’t the person just fix the problem.”

“From what we know of Keara, any of them, they’re impressive psychics. They see the future but can’t do anything directly. Instead, they manipulate circumstances.”

“Why don’t they tell us what the problem is?”

“I don’t know.”

Jack rang the bell, and the door buzzed open. The walls were a dark red with russet wood at the baseboard and ceiling. Paintings on the wall were historical scenes of Wales. His friend Teri Pierce stood next to a Welsh red dragon. They met when she was in high school. She witnessed a rampaging Weevil and was immune to Retcon. She promised to keep it a secret and he kept it out of the file.

“Teri, this is Dr. Dmitri Petrescu.”

“Hi. I hope this is something silly.” She shook her head. “We have a lot of weird historical items. An elderly woman donated her sister’s entire art collection. Our best guess, her sister was schizophrenic. It’s Welsh history, but would terrify membership.”

“What did you find?” Dmitri asked.

“I don’t know. It’s a metal ball with small lights that blink.” Teri paused. “If it hadn’t moved, when no one was in the room, I would have thought it was a toy. But I was the only one here.”

“I need to ask questions.” Dmitri couldn’t help but remember Ms. McDougall’s reaction. “Is this building haunted?”

Teri led them down newly replaced stairs and a dim hallway. The storage room was on the other side of the basement. She unlocked it and reached on the wall for a light.

“Could you give us a moment, Ms. Pierce?”

She nodded and walked back down the hall.

Jack waited and then asked quietly, “What?” 

“Same feeling as Ms. McDougall’s house. It started after Ms. Pierce opened the basement door.”

“How did you resolve it?”

“I remove a suspicious item from her basement. The feeling subsided when I placed it in a containment unit.”

“But?” Jack could tell by his tone Dmitri had reservations.

“A door shut by itself as we were leaving.” Dmitri hesitated. “I didn’t find anything recognizable. I advised Mrs. McDougall to call back if anything worried her. I asked Ianto to follow up.”

“Ideas?”

“No. The haunting activity here could be stories or whatever causes old buildings to have weird noises. If there is a connection between here and the house, the answer will come from connecting the boy to this location. Gwen will have to interview him. Maybe Nessa.”

 

** Torchwood Three **

Ianto Jones tidied the former alchemy lab. He’d been restless for hours. When the lamp switched on, he wasn’t particularly surprised. The odd purple glow no longer concerned him. It had something to do with Kylia and Lewella. He wished he knew what.

Then he noticed an envelope tucked between the lamp and the doll. After hesitating a moment, he crossing the room. His name was written in large, feminine script. He opened the unsealed envelope. “Dear grandpa. A lot more time has passed for me than you. I wanted to thank you for everything. I’m old enough now to realize that my sudden departure upset you. I wanted you to know that I’m happy and safe. It appears you and Jack are destined to be connected. I’m marrying Jack’s grandson Gray in the spring. I wish you could be here. Love, Kylia.” The lamp switched off after he finished reading the note. 

Jack entered as he was wiping at tears. “Hey.”

Ianto held up the letter and envelope. He explained about the lamp as Jack walked over. He gave Ianto a one-armed hug as he read the note. 

“Are you up for some research?”

“Yeah.” 

“I need you to find a connection between Laren’s foster son and the Trahaym Bach Historical Society.” Jack then explained what Dmitri had found.

Ianto stared at the letter when Jack handed it back. “Some thing’s happening. Kylia just happened to send me a note while I was in here cleaning. Why now? Why not weeks ago during those days you were missing?”

Jack kissed the top of his head. 

Ianto hugged Jack. He spent a lot of time battling anxiety and paranoia. One thing he’d learn was that even if he had irrational symptoms, that didn’t guarantee he was wrong. While the lamp and the letter were soothing something was bothering him before that. The energy associated with Lewella calmed him.

He reluctantly left Jack and headed for his office. The restlessness returned. He sat staring at the envelope, absently rolling an owl feather between his thumb and forefinger. What nagged at him was that he had no idea if Kylia wrote the note. He assumed the purple light and calming feeling was Lewella, but he had no way of knowing that for sure.

Ianto grabbed his mobile and called John.

“Hart.”

“Have you seen Luc’s analysis of Atmore?”

“Yeah.”

“I have a note supposedly from Kylia. Will you evaluate it?”

“Yeah. I can’t prove she sent it.”

“No. If the letter is enough for an analysis, we will have information on where it came from.”


	9. Chapter 9

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

** Monday, November 16, 2020 **

Dmitri Petrescu stood between two medical cots. The talismans were a gift from ancients that had proven their intentions were selfish but not malicious. Gwen had already shared a dream. Not simply with Morpheus but with Rhys over a great distance. It worked. There were no obvious side-effects. He didn’t like the idea. 

“I have the computer set-up for continual medical scans. The sedation will provide specific sleep conditions. Breaking the connection requires waking you. I don’t know what that would do.”

“It’s safe,” Gwen argued.

Jack shared some of his concerns. They were testing them in the infirmary for various reasons. Both Ianto and Rhys agreed to dream-sharing. The goal as Dmitri understood it was to help Jack and Gwen resolve past conflicts, primarily the mutual trauma of what happened when they were drugged. While he agreed to monitor the talisman use, he couldn’t help but wonder at the logic. When he talked to Ianto, it sounded almost like the therapy sessions were suppose to prevent infidelity. Dmitri opted to keep the obvious to himself. Dream-sharing would make cheating easier.

Dmitri administer the drug by IV. If he had to wake them, he would try it simultaneously. That wasn’t possible with injections. It would be difficult with IVs but could work. The screens had been moved side-by-side on a small bedside table between the cots. If the devices worked as expected, their brain waves would change. Jack set the system up to record the results.

 

** Dreamscape **

Gwen Cooper opened her eyes. The dreamscape was different than Morpheus’. The color of light and smells told her it was a different planet. The grass was an odd shade of green. Trees on the other side of the clearing were similar to earth, but the texture was different. Greenish stone ruins towered over her, seeming to reach for a bluish sky.

“Where are we?” 

“I don’t know.” Jack sounded confused.

Gwen chuckled. “How can you not know? It’s your memory.”

“Yeah.”

Gwen turned and looked at him. “Where are we suppose to be?”

“A carnival.”

Gwen walked over to him. “We’re here.” 

Jack hesitated. “Without knowing where we are, I don’t know why I was here.”

“It’s just a memory, Jack.” Gwen looked around. “Maybe intent affects how the talismans work. This is calmer.”

“Except an unfamiliar memory wouldn’t calm me.”

“You’re wearing your wrist-strap. Scan the area. Make your mind tell you where we are.”

Jack flipped it open and programmed a scan. “Nothing. There was a small ship in the area, but no obvious technology or intact structures.” He hesitated. “I can guess I landed here for some reason.”

Gwen nodded. “Dream therapy session one. Investigating unknown memory.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“What were you working on about before the infirmary?”

“Drone reports. Luc’s been testing the drones. He’s mapping and scanning the planet using a grid search similar to Atmore. The results have been strange.”

Gwen motioned to their surroundings. “This has to be connected.”

“I hope not. The island in Southeast Asia is showing new energy readings.” He reprogrammed his wrist-strap. “The same as the ruins here.”

“And?”

“There is a chamber under these ruins.”

“You remember?”

“Yeah.”

Gwen nodded. “Is there anything here you don’t want me to see?”

Jack closed his wrist-strap. “No.”

“Tell me about the carnival.” Gwen held out her hand.

 

** St. David’s Mall **

An uneasiness settled over John Hart as he waited for Ken on a bench near the Disney store. Nothing looked out-of-place. After several minutes, he had chills. John stepped into the hallway by the private toilet and used his wrist-strap to scan the area. Nothing stood out.

John found his ear com in his pocket and placed it in his ear. He tapped it on. “Is anyone there?”

“Yep,” Ianto said. “Problem?”

“I don’t know.” John felt ridiculous. “Are there any police reports or 999 calls around the mall?”

Ianto paused. “Shoplifting. Domestic ended by retail clerks. Three people went to A&E.” Another minute passed. “There is a security alarm sounding in an employee only area.”

“Check the security cameras.”

“Checking.” Ianto paused. “Employee theft. I’ll notify mall security.”

“There is something.”

“When does Ken’s shift end?”

John checked the time on his phone. “Ten minutes.”

“I’ll monitor reports.”

“Thanks.”

That did little for John’s nerves. He headed back to the bench as the feeling increased. The only idea that made any sense was his connection to Anwen. Anwen could sense Rift energy and chronons. Given the shared telekinesis, it was possible he gained access to her other abilities. The effect Dmitri’s device had when it healed them was unknown. The fused Nanogenes were another problem. There was the possibility that blowing up the house and the lamp affected him. The alchemy had to have some effect on the Nanogenes. The unanswerable questions didn’t help.

Part way back, John noticed a man staring at him. From Anwen’s description of the man from Christmas Market, John suspected he was the same person. If it was, then the man bypassed the shielding on his wrist-strap. That increased his uneasiness. 

John made a show of finding his phone and checking something. Instead, he photographed the man. After sending the image to Ianto, John sat and looked at the picture. The man looked familiar somehow. Rather than his face, it was something about the way he stood.

“I’m running facial rec,” Ianto said over the ear com. 

John replied by text. “Show the pic to Jack.”

“Can’t right now.”

John had forgotten about the dream-sharing. Anwen mentioned it. After finding out what happened between her mum and Jack, she suggested it. He thought it was counterproductive, but couldn’t very well explain why to an eleven-year-old. 

The uneasiness was shifting to paranoia when Ken approached. He held up a colorful shopping bag. “The store had one CD left. You’re lucky they had it. I got the rest of the list.” 

“Thanks.” John stood.

“What is your connection to the kid?”

That was not a conversation John wanted to have. “Torchwood problem.” Which was somewhat true. He met Anwen in the future when she was thirty-five. The adult saved him from himself. They were together for five years before the time change killed her. Even if it wasn’t dangerous, there was no part of that conversation that wasn’t easily misunderstood. Even Jack outright asked his intentions toward the child.

“Yeah. You’re not going to tell me?”

John had no idea what to tell him. “Later.” That gave him some time to think of something.


	10. Chapter 10

** Whitchurch Library; Cardiff, Wales **

** Tuesday, November 17, 2020 **

Dmitri Petrescu found comfort wandering the towering library shelves. Few things felt familiar anymore. The world and most of what he understood changed. He barely recognized himself. But the library with its knowledge for all to access regardless of labels welcomed him. Books had always been his friends. He used them to teach himself. With beautiful public libraries and the Internet, people of this time took knowledge for granted. The same with school. While he wouldn’t wish his experiences on anyone, general ignorance annoyed him.

Amidst the topics and genres, he met kindred souls: the boy  hiding from the kids who taunted him for reading instead of participating in the sports, the teenage girl devouring nonfiction books and showing her father teen fiction when he arrived to drive her home, an elderly man flipping through WWII history books and remembering ghosts from battle fields most cared nothing for, and an elderly woman was asking a librarian less than half her age to print recipes off the Internet because she barely understood the computer. Libraries were wonderful places where asking questions wasn’t a crime and ignorance wasn’t promoted.

Many sought refuge. Telyn Lewison hovered among the paperback romance novels as she often did. She worked too many hours and slept to few. It hadn’t taken much to realize why she shied away from him. Loud noises, quick movements, and men, in general, scared her. One thing he could appreciate about the new world was that family abuse was no longer legal. 

“Good morning.”

She eyed him a moment. “Morning.”

“Anything interesting?”

“New Christmas novel.” She held up a hardcover with a red and green cover. 

“Neurology.” While there was hope the Pierro group was gone, he still needed to update his knowledge. 

“Are you really a doctor?” She led over to a small table against a wall.

Dmitri smiled, sitting across from her. She’d asked him that before. “Yeah. I earned my degree from Oxford and did foundation training in London.” Which was true.

“You don’t have set hours?”

“My duties vary. I don’t have patients and office hours.” He’d avoided telling her he worked in law enforcement. She’d previous reacted badly to seeing a police officer picking up his kids’ book over his lunch hour one day.

“What kind of doctor?”

That was a new question. “Unusual situations. Everything from unexplained injuries to pathology.”

Telyn made the connection and fear took over. “Police?”

“Torchwood.”

“Aliens?”

“Not generally. I consulted with Dr. Guenevere Floyd, the local medical examiner, last week on a strange illness. A tropical fish can cause hallucinations.” Which Dr. Floyd already knew. She’d been ordered to consult by the detective constable assigned the case. A ridiculous situation in which she walked him through the evidence and documentation, some of which were journal articles she had written herself. “No aliens involved.”

“I clean offices.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” He’d mucked stalls, done various hard labor, and pretended to be a faith healer. He couldn’t judge. 

“I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid.” She sounded wistful.

“Not too late.”

She smiled. “I’m allergic to anything with fur.”

“It’s not too late for new dreams.”

“I’ve seen too much to be an optimist.” She shook her head.

He’d seen more than she could imagine. “I came from nothing. My family was poor. No one expected us to accomplish anything. But I did. Not because I was the best or brightest, but because I was determined.”

“Determination takes energy.”

Dmitri’s mobile vibrated. He checked the screen. “I need to take this,” he said reluctantly.

The call had thankfully not gone to voice mail by the time he reached the stairwell. “Good morning.”

“Morning. I have two more bodies. Witnesses describe the same behavior as last week.”

That wasn’t good. “The arse demanded another consult?”

“No. Evidence was found in the flat of the deceased indicating they were using the Dreamfish to produce a hallucinogenic. It could be similar to CN.”

Dmitri had glanced through the notes on the drug. It was created by incubating alien reptile eggs with growing mushrooms. “Similar how?”

“Weird drug. Dead bodies,” Dr. Floyd said sarcastically.

“I need to call Jack.”

“Captain Harkness and Mrs. Williams are dealing with two young men at Forest Farm convinced they’re being chased by a dragon.” She paused. “A neon blue dragon named George.”

“No.” 

“Yes.”

“Text me your location.”

 

Forest Farm; Cardiff, Wales

Jack Harkness laughed, catching Gwen around the waist before she could fall. Tracking the two young men was simple enough. Catching them was another story. There had to be a lot more to their hyper, child-like behavior than drug-induced hallucinations. 

“Are they even trying to escape from us?” Gwen held onto a tree. The ground was slick.

“No.” From their actions, he doubted the men knew he and Gwen were chasing them.

“Do you have stun pellets?”

Ianto suggested it and he forgot. “No.”

“We can’t keep this up. I will break an ankle.”

One of the men screamed.

“Stay here,” Jack said.

Gwen glared at him. “I’m not Ianto.” 

Another scream filled the air.

“No.” Jack smiled. “Ianto would have worn decent boots.”

The humor faded when he found the first of the two men they’d been chasing for more than half-an-hour. The man was mangled; his injuries looked like a large animal attack. Jack looked around at the surrounding trees. Nothing indicated an animal. The ground was frozen solid and wouldn’t yield prints.

Jack tapped his ear com. “Gwen.”

“Yeah.” 

“Do you have a portal device?”

“Yeah.”

“Get back to the hub and get everything we can on the area. They might not have been completely hallucinating the creature.”

“Jack,” Ianto injected, “Dr. Floyd called about another body. Dmitri is headed there now.”

“Call John and notify the general, in case I need back-up.” Jack crouched by the body. “I have no idea what killed this guy.” The gashes looked like claw marks. The type a large reptile would inflict.

The CN dragons came to mind, except they’d shown no indication of general aggression. The adult he saw at Cattrel industries months prior was the size of a small car. There was no way there was one in the area. Although they knew dragons could conceal themselves, bending light and running through a forest without a trace were two different things.

 

** Roath (neighborhood); Cardiff, Wales **

Dmitri Petrescu couldn’t help but admire the tree-lined streets and Victorian architecture. According to the information, he read on the Internet, it was a diverse area with both fancy historical homes and university students wanting nearby housing. 

He parked Ianto’s car behind a police cruiser. Driving was definitely a different experience he needed to get used to. Jack offered to get him a car. As he understood Ianto’s small, simple one, Dmitri said he wasn’t ready yet. He wasn’t sure how asking Ianto to get a new car would go over.

A constable waited on the sidewalk and led him through the gate and into the house. He wondered if it was a place young people rented rooms. It was impressive outside but had mismatch furnishing, and needed maintenance. Dr. Floyd was waiting in a room in the back.

Aquariums lined the far wall. Supplies for maintaining them were stacked against the other side of the room. It was impressive set-up saying the person or persons responsible cared more for the aquariums than the rest of the house. A quick glance around the room showed no indication of a drug. 

“How can I help?”

“These fish,” Dr. Floyd said, “Are being used to create a hallucinogenic drug. How?”

“Anything from the autopsy last week?”

“After consuming dreamfish, and having what was described as severe hallucinations, he had a fatal heart attack.”

Dmitri knew that much. “Could they have increased the concentration of natural hallucinogen?”

“Yeah. It’s caused by what the fish eat. These were either laced or genetically modified.”

Dmitri lowered his voice. “DCI Sawyer is questioning you again?”

“Yes. Please take jurisdiction. You have better equipment for tests.” She smiled an unpleasant expression. “He’s retiring at the end of the year and wants the media on this case.”

“It’s similar to CN,” Dmitri said, thinking aloud. “A fatal drug that causes hallucinations and is created by modifying something normally harmless.” 


	11. Chapter 11

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

Dmitri Petrescu listened to Luc explain the DNA results. The fish had been genetically altered. The question was how. Motivation and intent applied whether it was alchemy or not. What was the point of modifying a tropical fish to produce a drug that caused hallucinations? There were fish that didn’t need modification. There were hallucinogens that were easier to produce and taint. If it were an alchemy puzzle, the fish would be symbolic. A dream that terrified to the point of death?

Another question, of course, is what did the drug had to do with the death of the two men in Forest Farm? They had been killed by what appeared to be a large reptile. There was no evidence of one in the area. While the dragons associated with CN could render themselves invisible by distorting light, they were only known to be aggressive when trying to free captive dragons. The invisibility wouldn’t make it possible for a car-sized reptile to entered and leave a wooded area without a trace. The idea of psychologically-induced injuries had come up. The men believed they were being chased by a dragon. Except their injuries were consistent. Convincing oneself the temperature was below freezing was a lot different than manifesting fatal gashes.

With nothing to add, Dmitri left the science to Luc and returned to the library he’d found in storage. The mounting coincidences, that probably weren’t, frustrated him. There had to be a lot more to the situation. He was there and would deal with the increasing alchemy situations. If the psychics could manipulate circumstances to transport him seventy years in the future, he couldn’t help but think it would have been easier to prevent the situations he was trying to resolve.

 

** David’s D draig Goch **

The dimly lit bar and grill smelled of fish and chips. John walked up to the bar and claimed a stool near the back wall. Under other circumstances, he would have avoided it. While he was sober again, it was an ongoing battle to stay that way. 

The bartender walked over. Few customers occupied stools at lunch time. 

“I need to speak with Sal.” From the low-level drug dealers and others he spoke to, he got the impression the name was some type of joke. 

“Why?”

“I have information to exchange.”

After eying him a moment, the thirty-something bartender walked across the room to a woman sitting at the bar. She listened and then walked over. The tight, sexy clothes were probably an attempt to convince people not to take her seriously. The way she moved said she probably had military training. 

“You’re looking for Sal.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

John repeated what he told the bartender.

“Sal doesn’t take walk-ins.”

“There is a merchandise problem. It’s bad for business.”

She sat on the stool next to him. “Bad how?”

“It has a hundred percent chance of preventing repeat customers.”

“We have nothing here like that.”

John nodded. “It’s already being distributed. I can tell you what to look for.”

“Right. In exchange for what?”

“Information.” John removed an envelope with pictures out of inner coat pocket. “I am looking for some missing locals. I’ve been told Sal had nothing to do with their disappearance. Thought he might tell me what he knows.”

“You are the most incompetent undercover cop.”

John laughed. “I’m not a cop. I’m a freelancer associated with Torchwood.” He took a moment, letting the humor fade. “I don’t care what you’re selling or who you’re selling it to. Few exceptions.” He set the envelope on the bar. “This I care about.”

She opened the unsealed envelope. “These are kids.”

When he selected the pictures, he made a point of choosing girls that looked no older than thirteen. “Yeah. They’re homeless, runaways or missing from foster care. The youngest is five.”

She wore. “What’s your information?”

“There is a hallucinogenic drug made from dreamfish.” He described one. “It’s known to cause hallucinations under certain circumstances. The fish being used have been modified or contaminated. The producers are breeding them in tropical aquarium set-ups. Anyone who consumes the fish or any product made from them is going to have a bad reaction and die. The people producing it may not know that.”

“Why isn’t Torchwood making an announcement?”

“Another public service announcement on the dangers of taking psychotropic drugs? If we add details on tropical aquariums, we’d risk the safety of everyone owning one.”

She looked back at the envelope. “What’s that have to do with the kids?”

“Nothing that I know. There are a lot of missing girls right now. With that vigilante beating up criminals targeting women, the disappearances could be retaliation.”

“How many teenagers?”

“We’re not sure. Shelters and charities that help families and teenagers are on alert from here to London. We’re asking for information on any kid or teen they have reason to believe is unaccounted for.”

She nodded, picking up the pictures. “Are you looking for another fucking cult? The last one was piling bodies before the police cared.”

“We’re looking for a cult. The cops are looking missing foster kids. Can you see them trying to explain how cute little girls were taken from state custody and further abused?”

“You knew who you were looking for when you came in here.”

“Yeah.” According to his contacts, she had a reputation for killing violent pimps.

She shook her head. “The cops have been trying to get that information for years.”

“Different motivation.” John slid off the stool. “I don’t arrest people.”

 

** Maxwell Evanson’s flat **

Gwen Cooper stood in the nicely decorated, organized one bedroom Adamsdown flat and wondered what she was missing. Her and Jack had both walked through. They’d checked the usual hiding spaces and anything else they could think of. The closest to questionable was a stash of pornographic magazines. There was no computer. A mobile found with his body had been damaged beyond recovery. Nothing stood out in his phone records. 

“We’re going to have to ask the neighbors.” Gwen hated canvassing.

They knocked on two doors without an answer. The third one opened as they approached. An older man with graying hair stepped into the doorway wearing a university sweatshirt and jeans. “Are you here about Max?” He asked sadly.

“Yes.” Gwen walked across the hall. “I’m Gwen Cooper. This is Captain Jack Harkness. We’re from Torchwood.”

“Kamal Boutros.” He sighed. “Max was a good kid. He’d not only hold the door for you, he’d offer to help carry your groceries.”

“How long did you know him?”

“Five years. Max was in my History 101 course as a freshman.”

“How long have you been teaching?” Gwen asked.

“Thirteen years. Eight in Cardiff. Five in London.”

“Any problems with Max?” Jack injected.

“No.” Kamal shook his head. “I haven’t heard a bad thing about him.”

Gwen wondered if that was accurate or if the teacher didn’t speak ill of the dead. “What kind of student was he?”

“Bored. He was a business major.” Kamal stopped to think. “It had to do with his family. I met his mother once.” He hesitated. “Wherever he got his manners, it wasn’t from her.”

“Do you remember his mother’s name?” 

“Mrs. Gordon. Max said she married into one of the families that owned Gordon-Glen.”

The company name sounded familiar to her. “Max’s parents are divorced?”

“No. His father died when he was a kid.”

“Did he have a lot of visitors?” Jack asked.

“His brother Leith. Dierdre was a friend or girlfriend.” Kamal shook his head. “He had a few friends that came by, but I wasn’t introduced.”

“Any problems with them?”

“His brother had problems. The friends were from the university.” Kamal shrugged, but his tone said he didn’t care for Max’s friends.

Gwen had more questions than they started off with. If the teacher’s opinion of Max was accurate, she had no idea why he was killed. While it was possible he willingly took the drug, she doubted it. The autopsy showed no history of drug abuse. They needed to find his car; he had a newer sedan registered to him. Max had to have a computer. They needed to ask Kailen about backup options. Maybe he had something online.

Jack waited until they were back in the van. “Gordon-Glen is connected to Cattrel Industries. Custom genetics.”

“Another CN?”

“Possibly. It’s not a torture drug.”

“A drug couldn’t have killed the young men at Forest Farm.”

“No.” Jack agreed. “It could have attracted what did.”


	12. Chapter 12

** Torchwood Nova Scotia; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada **

** Thursday, November 19, 2020 **

Luc Sarkisian doubted the drug had anything to do with Champignons Noirs. CN was a torture drug. Reports so far showed no indication that victims could respond while hallucinating. There was no Rift energy. CN could be weakened to produce a street drug comparable to Ecstasy, but there was nothing suggesting the new drug had a recreational purpose. Dreamfish hallucinations were described as horrible experiences.

“Could it be religious?” Eryn wrapped an arm around his waist. “Like Peyote.”

“Nothing to suggest it. Gwen’s current theory is the victims didn’t take the drug willingly.”

Eryn set her head against his upper arm. “How did Jack track CN to Cattrel industries?”

“A car-sized alien reptile in the car park.”

Eryn laughed. “Other than that.”

“A teenager named Eddie Cattrel went nuts. The drug made him feel invincible. Jack followed the bodies and drugged teenagers.”

Eryn humor fled. “The one Jeannette Dove killed with a fireball?”

“Yeah.” He had no sympathy for Eddie Cattrel. Eddie took advantage or raped his best friend Malcolm’s sister.

“That received a lot of news coverage, right?” Eryn set a hand on his chest. “Cattrel Industries was shut down, and people who worked there are in jail?”

“Yeah. The one’s that weren’t in the Cardiff facility when the dragons were freed. Jack and John barely survived. None of the employees did.” An indication of the creature’s sentient was it targeted company employees and not responding emergency services.

“Until the giant dragon showed up, the deceased were the only evidence of alien slavery and drug production. Unusual deaths and homicides get Torchwood’s attention. Four, five bodies and Torchwood in three countries is looking at it. There is a possible connection between another corporation and Cattrel.”

“Whistleblower?” Torchwood had a website for reporting situations. If a person emailed that a corporation was creating something similar to CN, even if the person sounded completely insane, Jack would have checked just to be sure.

“The person would have to be crazy and desperate.”

Luc nodded. “What does the person want?”

“Revenge. Or to prevent something. I looked briefly at the Moss-Probert case. Genetic modification, unethical research. The woman who escaped that facility did some strange things to make sure Torchwood couldn’t ignore it. She probably wanted to make sure the people who hurt her and those she cared about couldn’t come after them again.”

“Miriam Morgans. She killed people responsible for what happened.” No random people were harmed.

Eryn looked up at Luc. “Are we sure no one has survived this drug?”

 

** Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland **

Liam Doughtery hesitated in the doorway to Trefor’s room. After what his grandmother said about Trefor and Trefor’s father Captain Harkness, Liam had been getting increasingly uneasy about Torchwood. It hadn’t taken much to find that Captain Harkness had been working for Torchwood a long time. Cautious of giving himself away, he’d focused on files he could justify looking at. He found references as far back as WWII. Trefor was the opposite. He found nothing indicating Trefor worked for Torchwood for very long and nothing to explain his rank. Liam had found information on three-year-old Trefor Williams. 

As much as the information scared him, he couldn’t keep sneaking around. If Torchwood really made people disappear, he already knew too much. There was nowhere he could hide. He wanted to trust his judgment or at least Nessa’s. 

“What’s wrong?” Trefor asked.

Liam had no idea where to start. He closed his eyes. “When I was looking for information about my grandfather, I found a connection between him and your father during WWII. Captain Harkness was in or near Antarctica in 1948.”

“Step in.”

Liam hesitated a moment before entering the room. The door slid shut behind him. 

“Jack’s secret isn’t much of a secret anymore. Not in Torchwood.”

“You don’t exist.” Liam met Trefor’s eyes as he approached. 

“That’s not much of a secret either.” Trefor eyed. “Why are you afraid?”

“I know too much.”

Trefor laughed. “This isn’t a mafia movie, Liam. It doesn’t take much to figure out that I call a woman mum who isn’t old enough to be my mother.”

Liam wanted to leave it at that. “The 456?”

“Where did you get the information, Liam?”

Liam shook his head.

“Your grandmother?” Trefor sighed. “I need to know exactly what she told you.”

“No.” Liam stared at the floor.

“How does your grandmother know my father?”

“Estelle.” 

“The woman my father fell in love with during the war? How does that lead to the 456.”

“I don’t know.”

Trefor reached for Liam and he flinched.

“What did she tell you about the 456?” Trefor gave it a moment. “I’m not going to do whatever you think I’m going to do to you. If your grandmother knew Jack in WWII, okay. I look like he did back then. The explanation for that is complicated. But information on the 456 suggests a connection to the British government. The government tried to destroy Torchwood.”

“The 456 killed him,” Liam argued. The entire situation was insane.

“Attempted. Jack is hard to kill.”

“And Ianto?”

“Was your grandmother trying to scare you? Maybe stop you from asking about your grandfather?”

“Yeah.”

“I can tell you the truth. You won’t believe me. And it won’t make you feel any better.”

“Tell me.”

Trefor sighed. “In 2049, Torchwood changed the past. Myself and others came back in time. Torchwood Three was rebuilt. The government destroyed it years ago while my father was inside. Ianto was killed by the 456. But changes made to the past reversed what happened.”

“Why?”

“Torchwood was faced with a war we couldn’t win. The world was on the brink of being destroyed.”

The door opened and Malcolm stepped in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“What did you find?”

“The dreamfish drug is affecting the victim’s cell structure or DNA. I can only guess the drug contains a retrovirus. Captain Harkness needs to burn the bodies, all the fish, all the drugs, and whatever facility produced this nightmare.” Malcolm took a moment. “If this were to become airborne, it would be a massive biological weapon.”

“Do you know how to contact Luc in Nova Scotia?”

“Yeah.” Malcolm nodded. “We exchange emails.”

“Send him everything you have.”

“I already did.”

Trefor waited until the door closed behind Malcolm. “I don’t know what your grandmother is hiding. From the background I ran on her, she was married three times to military men. Each died in a military accident. If she was worried about you working for Torchwood, she would have said something before you started asking about your grandfather.” He paused. “Historically, Torchwood has had extreme views on secrets and former employees. If you want to leave, that’s your choice. We’re not the mafia. My only concern is that whoever she’s connected to knows about your connection to Torchwood.”

“I don’t know.” 

“I wish I could sit down and reassure you. Nothing I say will make you feel better, Liam.” Trefor took a moment. “We have a potential weapon of mass destruction in Cardiff. I don’t have the time.”


	13. Chapter 13

** Asda Cardiff Bay Superstore; Cardiff, Wales **

Ianto Jones sighed. The list Ken emailed was confusing. Ken was at work. Dmitri was checking on Dawn. She was having another bad day. Ianto needed to shop as quickly as possible and head to the building. Dmitri was needed at the hub. Any work Ianto had he could do remotely through Jack’s office in their flat. 

“Ma’am.” He approached an older woman. “I need help finding a few things.”

She smiled. “What are you looking for?”

Ianto handed her the list he’d printed out.

“Pregnant missuses.” 

“Friend. She’s sick and someone has to stay with her.” He followed. 

“That’s kind of you.”

It was either him running errands or asking Gwen. “It’s not a problem.”

They were halfway down the list when Laren called. He considered letting it go to voice mail and then remembered the issue with her foster son. Dmitri found something in her home but hadn’t been able to resolve the problem. “One minute, ma’am.” He accepted the call. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Laren hesitated. “Dr. Petrescu said I should call back if we had another problem.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.” She sounded very uneasy. “We stopped at a cafe in Pontcanna after school. I know the owner. She was showing me something in the kitchen, and I had my back turned. The door opened.” She paused. “Best guess is someone saw an unattended little boy and tried to grab him.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah. The man was thrown through the plate glass window, across the sidewalk, over a car, and into the street.”

Shit. “Do you have Dmitri’s number?”

“No. Could you send the other man? Dr. Petrescu made me nervous.”

“John?”

“Yeah.”

Ianto would have to ask Dmitri what happened. “It will take a bit. Are you safe?” 

“I think so. The police are asking questions I don’t have answers for.”

“I better call Jack.” Ianto couldn’t think of a single case where they had to evaluate a foster child. “If the police or social services say anything about transporting him, tell them you’re waiting for Torchwood. It’s an open case.”

The clerk was staring at him when the phone call ended. “You’re Torchwood?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, I need to make another call.”

 

** Pontcanna Bakery Cafe **

Jack Harkness parked the Torchwood van two blocks from the cafe. Constable Andy Davidson met him and Gwen on the sidewalk. From his expression, there was a problem with jurisdiction. It wasn’t the first time he’d been volunteered to argue with them. DCI Sawyer, not DC Cowley was handling the case. The dinosaur as many called him was nearing retirement and overqualified to be handling basic calls. Dr. Floyd had mentioned the detective wanted publicity and to attempt to prove his stance on women in law enforcement. How that applied to the current situation, Jack didn’t know.

“DCI Sawyer said there is no evidence it’s a Torchwood case.” It was a wonder Andy said that with a straight face.

“The child was already a Torchwood case.” Jack walked around the constable and headed for the cafe.

Gwen said something quietly before following.

As Laren described, the front glass had been blown out with significant force. The sidewalk was littered with glass. The car directly in front of the window had been impaled in places. A tent had been established around the body in the middle of the road.

A constable in front of the cafe eyed him. He’d met the young woman before. Normally, she stepped aside without argument. She looked conflicted. 

“Torchwood.” Jack could see Sawyer having a disagreement with Laren across the room. From the body language, he figured Sawyer was attempting to separate Laren from the child. Considering what he suspected caused the situation, he didn’t think that was the best idea. “The kid’s part of more than one case. Even if this isn’t involved, we still have jurisdiction.”

She hesitated before moving. Jack opened the door and stepped into the cafe. 

“Obviously you weren’t taking care of him.”

“DCI Sawyer.” Jack caught Laren’s eyes from across the room. “Ms. McDougall and Maddox are Torchwood jurisdiction prior to whatever happened in this cafe. We’re transporting them for their own safety until we can determine who attacked them.”

“This is my case, Captain Harkness.”

“No, it’s not.”

“You don’t have the authority to take any case you want.” The aging constable sounded like a petulant child.

“You were accusing Ms. McDougall of negligence. How exactly would that explain the window, car, and body?” Jack motioned toward what had been a sizable window.

“Gas explosion.”

Jack took a moment. “You’re standing in a building after a gas explosion that hasn’t been cleared by professionals?” The idea was ridiculous. A gas explosion would have done a lot more damage and killed everyone inside.

Sawyer crossed his arms. “What’s your explanation?”

“Maddox has a violent imaginary friend.” Jack could just picture Gwen’s face as she tried not to laugh behind him.

“Excuse me?”

“When the dead man threatened Maddox or Ms. McDougall, he was thrown through the window. It’s related to the Forest Farm case where the two men were killed by a dragon they hallucinated.” 

Sawyer glared at him.

“If this was a gas explosion, the entire cafe would have been destroyed. There would be fire damage.” Jack motioned around the room. “No damage. No gas smell. No obvious explanation for the homicide. It’s Torchwood jurisdiction.”

After a brief staring contest, Sawyer headed for the door. 

“We need to get them out of here in case he called social services,” Gwen said quietly.

 

** Hughes Flats **

Ianto Jones sat at the small kitchen table in Ken and Dawn’s flat with his laptop and a notebook while Dawn rested. There had to be something in Maddox Tray’s social services file to explain the haunting activity. The easy explanation would be a psychokinetic Rift ability. The boy was born in Cardiff. His mother and her family were connected to Cardiff. His father, Cort Tray, was born in London and spent most of his life in Liverpool. The father died in some type of industrial accident three months ago. The mother, Aneira Tray, returned to Cardiff to be near family. She was seriously injured in a car accident two months ago while Maddox was at school. He originally went to stay with Sian Clough, his material grandmother. Three days later, she asked social services to take him. There were multiple references to religious issues cited by Mrs. Clough and foster parents. When the social worker approached Laren, Maddox had been rejected by three homes in a week. At least one more refused to accept him. When Aneira Tray was released from the hospital, she went to stay with her mother, but Mrs. Clough refused to have Maddox in her home.

Pending his mother’s accident didn’t trigger something, Ianto looked at the father’s death. Cort Tray did commercial remodeling. A quick Internet search found a brief article about an accident involving a malfunctioning elevator. The man’s obituary said he’d been cremated days after the accident which didn’t provide much time for an investigation. 

Ianto used his remote connection to access the local police department. The investigation was perfunctory. They had no evidence to support a homicide investigation, but no effort was made to investigate what could have been questionable safety issues on-site. There were notes about an elevator inspection done after Tray was cremated. If it looked like an obvious accident, the investigator likely moved on to more important cases. But it sounded suspicious after what was happening with Maddox.

The property where Tray died was sold after his death. It was supposedly an office building. The investigator didn’t walk through the facility. Ianto checked the power company first. The energy requirements looked high. He needed to check nearby buildings for comparison. He compared it to the new owners and it was high. Using information from the Moss-Probert, it was high compared to London. He pulled up the service providers that previously connected Moss-Probert to affiliates. Nothing stood out. 

While trying to decide which supplier lists to check first, he decided to look up area aquarium suppliers. One small wholesaler posted comments about a weird local business. They reportedly kept aquariums to calm their employees who had stressful jobs. The problem was they kept accidentally killing their snails. He asked if anyone else had a customer that had to keep buying snails. Tracing the man to his company and getting the supply list didn’t take much. Kailen’s upgrades definitely helped. A search of the supply company’s records connected the aquarium supply company to the location where Tray died.

Checking business connections led to a subsidiary of Gordon-Glen. Maxwell Evanson, one of the men who died from the dreamfish drug, was connected to Gordon-Glenn through his mother.


	14. Chapter 14

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

Gwen Cooper sat at the table reviewing Ianto’s research during a conference. Added to what Dmitri discovered about Maddox, the problem was a lot worse than they thought. Another CN drug would have been better. Gordon-Glenn appeared to have taken pages from Moss-Probert and Cattrel Industries. 

Jack stood at the opposite side of the room. “Does Luc have any ideas, Eryn?”

“No. Him and Kailen are researching.” Eryn’s tone indicated she was working up the guts to add something on her own.

“Malcolm is concerned about the possibility of airborne distribution,” the general said. “The drug appears to be altering cells or DNA. If it were to mutate, the death toll would be massive. A whistle-blower, as Eryn suggested, could be trying to draw attention to the production of a WMD.”

“Captain Harkness,” Eryn said. “I have another idea.”

“Go ahead.”

“Our current theory is this drug is a hundred percent fatal. Someone went to a lot of effort to produce a bizarre way to kill people. There are a lot of easier options. Malcolm thinks it’s a retrovirus. Luc said that’s a way to genetically modify a living person. It delivers new instructions into cells.” Eryn gave it a moment. “Maybe the change only works for some people. Human genetics vary a lot. Maybe the person has to have something specific to survive the effects.”

That made a lot more sense than current theories, Gwen thought. “Any idea what they’re trying to accomplish?”

“If it’s similar to Beaupre and Cattrel, it’s about power with no regard for who gets hurt. Or any consequences. CN was used as an interrogation drug, but it’s purpose was probably to affect Rift abilities and create new ones. Moss-Probert researched psychic abilities and genetic modifications. If the dreamfish is simply a bizarre test delivery method, the goal could be mass distributing the process. Like terrorists releasing sarin gas.”

The conference room door slid open and Dmitri stepped into the doorway. “John’s in the infirmary with Ms. McDougall and Maddox.” 

“Did you find something?” Jack asked.

“Yeah.” He walked to the end of the table, rested his hands on the back of a chair and looked at the table. “Maddox’s scans flagged a few things. He’s been exposed to the dreamfish drug. He has genetic modifications similar to Kylia. I didn’t find genetic issues with her because I wasn’t looking.” Dmitri looked up. “Maddox has a symbiont. The computer lists it as a non-parasitic, energy-based entity. The information is confusing. Hub security either doesn’t know it’s there or doesn’t consider it a threat.”

“What type of entity?” Jack asked.

Dmitri shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“This sounds familiar,” the general said. “Have Anwen access Global and look for preliminary research on an alternative to Nanogenes. Something went very wrong with the research. We had to quarantine a facility full of people. We destroyed it with an air strike and a specialty bomb. It was ugly.”

“We need a real doctor, Jack. I know you’ll tell me I am. I was in 1948. I will have to go back to Oxford and start over. In ten years, I could be ready for this. Right now an eighteen-year-old high school student dreaming of medical school knows more about medicine than I do.”

“Is Maddox a threat?”

Dmitri looked at Gwen briefly. “He’s arguably less dangerous than Anwen. He’s calm, polite and doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“From what Ianto found, it’s likely that Maddox was exposed through his father. His mother was in a car accident after they relocated to Cardiff which resulted in his placement in foster care. The haunting-like activity was documented after Maddox moved in with Laren. The device Dmitri found could have affected the entity or been coincidental. The reason Maddox has not been reunited with his mother is she’s still recovering from injuries and her mother refuses to allow Maddox in her home. If it’s a matter of keeping him calm and giving him a stable environment, like my children or possibly Kylia, then he needs to be reunited with his mother.”

“How would we do that?” Dmitri asked. “Isn’t there a constable wanting to arrest Laren?”

“We relocate Laren, Maddox and his mother to Birmingham,” Jack said. “Verity Holdsworth is still with social services. The Sisters can keep an eye on Maddox.”

“Are we trusting them?” Gwen had reservations. She agreed with Morpheus about the group.

“The alternative to Birmingham is what? Nigeria? Four is chaotic right now,” the general said. “Nova Scotia isn’t equipped for observation and security.”

“What happens if the corporation realizes what the boy can do?” Eryn asks.

“They should already know,” Gwen said. “It took us this long to connect Maddox to Gordon-Glen. They knew about his father, possibly covered up his cause of death. If there was a concern, they should know about the social services problems by now. If not, the Pontcanna exploding window would be a giveaway.”

Jack looked over and met her eyes.

“Or Pontcanna was an abduction attempt.” Gwen grabbed her mobile. “I’ll call Dr. Floyd.”

 

John Hart sat on an infirmary cot with his back to a wall reading a copy of Dawn’s latest medical scans. Ken would be relieved. There was nothing to suggest a problem. The computer was recommending vitamins. An Internet search should resolve what was needed. 

“Is that the result of Maddox’s scan?” Laren McDougall asked.

He had to give the woman credit. She’d been concerned about the boy throughout the haunting activity. Knowing he was capable of throwing a man through a window and halfway across a street had to be a lot to process. She was still standing by the kid. 

“No. My boyfriend’s roommate is sick.”

She nodded. “Do you know what happened?”

He wasn’t who she needed to ask. “Maddox.” The boy looked up. “Who was the man in the cafe?”

“Someone my dad knew through work.”

“What did he do?”

“He said I needed to come with him. My mum wanted to see me.” Tears welled in his eyes. “Mum is with grandma. Grandma won’t let me stay there.”

Smart kid. “Do you know how he got hurt?”

Maddox nodded. “The ghost protected me.”

“Ghost?” John wondered if that had something to do with the haunting activity.

“Yeah.”

“You like ghosts?”

“Yeah. I wanted to believe it was dad. But dad wouldn’t have hurt that man.”

John couldn’t help but remember the Moss-Probert attack on the building. Rhys Williams shot and killed a biomech defending Trefor. John didn’t want to think what Gwen would do to a person threatening her kids. 

“Your dad would have done what he had to.”


	15. Chapter 15

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

** Friday, November 20, 2020 **

Yawning, Ianto Jones stepped into the main room. It was early. He headed for the kitchen with Russell following close behind. Jack sat at the small table with both their laptops and from the looks of it, he’d been there most of the night.

“How much coffee have you had?” 

Jack looked wired. “A few.” He rubbed his face.

“What can’t you find?” Ianto headed for the coffee pot. There was enough for a mug left.

“Gordon-Glenn.” Jack stood and stretched. “Maxwell’s mother is missing. I can’t find anyone publicly listed for the company. No bodies yet.”

“I couldn’t find an active location.” Ianto filled his mug.

Jack wandered into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. “Gwen is taking Anwen to the hub before school for a Global search.” 

“We’re going to need more custom monitoring programs.” Ianto sipped the dreadful coffee. “The programs Kailen wrote to monitor research projects recruiting people are working. We need one to sort commercial energy usage.” 

“Are you doing all right?”

“Yeah. I miss Kylia. I miss having Anwen and Trefor at the hub.” Ianto figured with the chaos he wouldn’t able to volunteer for awhile.

Jack reached out brushed his hand across Ianto’s face. “Gwen and Rhys need a date night when things calm down. We could take the kids to the mall. Christmas shopping and pizza.”

“You’re bribing me with babysitting?” Although it was oddly appealed.

Jack shrugged. “We haven’t had a date night in awhile either.”

Ianto set his mug down. “I’m still recovering from our last holiday at Roberts’ bed-and-breakfast.”

“We had fun.” Jack laughed.

“Some.” The image of Peggy and Pat coming out of the woods was still lodged in his head.

“We could go to the pirate theme restaurant again.”

“Without Rex,” Ianto stated. “The food was good.”

“We could sit with the girls this time.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “You wish.”

Jack leaned in and kissed him.

 

Rhys Williams checked the coffee table for his keys. He’d forgotten to put them in the candy dish on the kitchen counter. He was wondering if they were under something. Then Trefor giggled from the doorway of the room he shared with his sister. “Anwen, where are my keys?”

“Above your head.” She peeked out of the room, her face above Trefor’s head.

Rhys looked up and his keys were hovering in the air. He grabbed them. “Are you ready for school?”

“Yeah. Mum’s taking us early. I need to set-up some Global searches.”

“Your brother has a class event this morning.” Rhys wondered at times. Without Torchwood, it was the type of conversation a parent had with a teenager. “Rhiannon Davies emailed a reminder.”

“I’m just authorizing searches, dad. Trefor will get to school on time.” She rested her arm on his head. “One of the parents is doing a presentation on airplanes.”

“And a spaceship.” Trefor eyes lit up.

“We need to get going.” Gwen stepped out of the other doorway.

Rhys walked over to her. “Another long day?”

“I don’t know.”

He hugged her. “Call if I need to pick up the kids.”

Gwen lowered her voice. “We have possible human experimentation and a lot of missing kids.”

“I’ll get the kids from school.”

“Thanks. Talk to Ken.”

Which meant check on Dawn. It was a conversation that hadn’t managed directly. Gwen had accepted both the affair and the baby better than he could have expected. None one had figured out how to talk about it. Less than two months before Dawn’s due date, and he had no idea how birth certificates or support was going to work.

 

Ken Phillips dodged a flying pillow. At least it wasn’t the book on pregnancy this time. Dmitri evaluated Dawn again and said she needed bed rest. Between varying pain and boredom, she didn’t care for that idea. He hoped John would get back with the new prenatal vitamins and ice cream soon. Both would make her feel better.

The knock had him checking his watch. John wouldn’t be back yet. Hoping it wasn’t another problem, Ken answered the door. Rhys looked uneasy. One of the numerous questions couldn’t ask. Rhys had been missing for three months and came back with a girlfriend who was more than four months pregnant. 

Ken stepped back and motioned Rhys in. “Dawn had a rough night. Vomiting, crying. The pain has gotten worse and Dmitri said there isn’t anything she can safely take that’s stronger.”

Rhys nodded. “Does she need anything?”

“Talk to her. Dmitri wants her to rest. I don’t think Dawn will listen to me.”

Rhys hesitated. “My wife…”

“If Gwen’s concerned, she can ask me. Dawn’s in no condition for anything inappropriate.”

He nodded and walked across the main room. 

Ken headed into the kitchen. He checked the coffee maker. The pot was halfway done. With all of Torchwood busy, he needed it. While he didn’t mind sitting with Dawn, she needed more than he could manage at times. From what John said, whatever was happening with Torchwood was bad. Ianto and Dmitri might not be able to help. 

When Rhys stepped into the kitchen, he looked worried. “There’s something wrong with Dawn.”

“Pregnant women get like that.”

“Ken, I’ve known her for two years. That isn’t normal.”

“Are you sure?” Ken didn’t like the sound of that. From his experiences with his sisters, and what he read online, Dawn was having a complicated pregnancy. The attitude could easily been emotional, hormonal and stress.

“Yeah. You didn’t see Gwen pregnant. I have seen hormonal. With Anwen, there were safety concerns and Gwen got really paranoid in the last month.”

“Would you call Dmitri? I have his number. I didn’t know Dawn before she was pregnant.” Ken quickly wrote the number. 

Rhys’ concern was contagious. Ken knew there were problems. He’d wondered more than once if he should have asked more questions, but he already had trouble coping with what he knew. 

“Thank you,” Rhys said.

Ken hesitated. “I don’t know the personal details. It’s none of my business. But Dawn is having a rough time. It could help if she spent time with someone she knew.”

“It’s complicated.”

That was the biggest understatement Ken had ever heard. 


	16. Chapter 16

** Asda Cardiff Bay Superstore; Cardiff, Wales **

John Hart wondered about his life at times. After doing a store run for Ken, he received another grocery list. Eye candy expected him to run errands. Dmitri was at Laren McDougall’s packing clothes and essentials for her and the boy already. He’d prefer to be tracking Gordon-Glen. He’d dealt with that corporation while he worked with future Torchwood. Their biomech program was one of the worst. 

His mobile rang while he was trying to figure out where to find oatmeal. “Hart.”

“Morning.” Sal sounded like she hadn’t slept. 

“Everything okay?”

Sal scoffed. “I have something for you. One of the kids was taken to a hospital in Liverpool and is currently in social services with a fake name. From what I can find, the police raided the foster home where the girl was assigned. The foster mum has a very fucked up background. She shouldn’t have been allowed to keep her kids nevertheless any others. All three kids disappeared. A Good Samaritan transported the kids to another jurisdiction. Leave him be, he shouldn’t be arrested for saving kids.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s not what had me up all night. I got a lead on that damn drug. If I give you the address, you’ll keep me out of it.”

“Yeah.”

Sal read it to him. “Rumor has it, they’re preparing terrorist shit. I don’t want to hear misunderstood white nationalist crap and how their mums didn’t love them enough.”

John could read between the lines. He told her he didn’t arrest people. “Understood. Get some sleep.”

“Fuck you.” She ended the call.

John smiled. Under other circumstances, he’d consider that a challenge. 

 

** Torchwood Three **

Ianto Jones received the information from John and contacted Nessa. Verity Holdsworth was afraid of him, and they needed her to confirm the children were safe in Liverpool. He wasn’t sure what to think about the Sisters, but Torchwood didn’t have the people or resources for dealing with social services. The conflict over Laren and Maddox was complicated enough. Backed by DCI Sawyer’s accusations, Maddox’s social worker was making demands. 

The reported drug facility was another problem. John’s contact was questionable. He didn’t question her motivation but had no idea how reliable her information was. The location didn’t make sense. A quick check of energy usage showed the facility did not exceed normal levels for the area and business type. Neither the business’ website showed solar panels nor did the usual supplier have them on the customer list. A police database search found nothing. A basic Internet search made him consider organized crime. 

Ianto tapped his ear com. “The location isn’t solid.” He summarized.

“Check ownership and association. Run names for pimps and human traffickers that target women.”

After another half-an-hour, he had nothing. There was a minor connection to a powerful London politician. “Nothing.”

“That location was chosen for a reason,” John said. “Either it’s a drug producer or a raid that would embarrass Torchwood.”

“Be careful.”

“Worried, eye candy?”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to tell Anwen you died from stupidity.”

 

** Noble Industries **

Trees effectively created a wall between the facility and it’s nearest neighbor. John Hart flipped open his wrist-strap and scanned the building. The new modifications were not as impressive as he wanted, but the additional structural information was better. It had no alien technology and minimal current technology. It looked like the building’s entire energy usage was lights. There weren’t enough cars to justify the amount of lit rooms. 

Using binoculars, he checked the windows, and there was no obvious movement. Switching to infrared showed that the building did not have active heat. It had to be a trap.

A sound behind caught his attention. The person moved quietly but wasn’t trying to hide themselves. John waited.

“I wasn’t sure how to approach you.” The language he spoke was from an area far from Earth.

“Who are you?” John responded in the same language.

“I don’t know how to explain.” The young man stopped a few feet away. “If you run a DNA scan, I’m your son.” He hesitated. “Except I watched my father die.”

“How did you get here?” John wondered if someone could be looking for him.

“A friend secured me in a hibernation chamber and hid me from the Time Agency. I woke under a strange island. The pod had been there a long time.”

“Why were you hiding?” That could be more complications.

“I knew Time Agents killed my father and why.”

“Either the future was changed or you’re in the wrong universe.” 

“Wrong universe. My ship is trapped. One of the strange other dimensions that exist more in math than reality.”

John would need to check his story. The first part was easy. He remote accessed the hub, programmed a paternity test and scanned the young man. The result was quick and as expected. Lying about something obvious was a bad idea. “You need to keep your head down. Stay away from the girl.”

“From the holiday market?”

“Yeah.”

“The nearly identical wrist-strap was confusing. The whole attitude made me think of you. She’s not my sister. Or…” The young man shook his head.

“No.” 

“Good to know. I caught a glimpse of her mother. She’s terrifying.”

John laughed. “Don’t mess with her either.”

“I like my women younger and sane.”

John laughed more. 

“I go by Robert. You’re John here?”

“Yeah.” 

Robert motioned at the building. “You do realize that’s a trap?”

“I was trying to work out what kind when you interrupted.”

“Government sting,” Robert declared. “The cars are from police impound.”

That would be incredibly stupid. John tapped his ear com. “Access CCTV near the facility. Run the plates against police impound.”

Ianto responded several minutes later. “Match. DCI Sawyer is that kind of stupid.”

“Better call it in.” John didn’t want to use names. While he had confirmed the Robert’s DNA, it would be a long time, if ever, before trust was a possibility. John needed to find out more about the Time Agency conflict. He knew what he’d become before he met Anwen. Different circumstances could have been worse.

“Is someone with you?” Ianto asked.

“Yeah.” John tapped his ear com off and closed his wrist-strap.


	17. Chapter 17

** Kylia’s Parallel Universe **

** Torchwood Institute; London, England **

** Spring 2060 **

Kylia Jones stood watching the stark, white landscape of Antarctica on the large screen. While the scan details were available on a console at the desk, she wouldn’t understand most of it. As an archivist, her job was to maintain files and search for information when needed. Something her grandfather did for decades.

“This doesn’t make sense, Ky,” Avril said from one side of the camera out of view. “Inconsistent Rift energy and chronons. Possible time distortion.”

Gray crouched a few feet in front of the camera eying an indent in the white ground. “Send the scan readings to Nigeria. There was an African excavation in the 1900s that found stealth devices. They’re listed under dangerous for human contact.” He stood. “A malfunctioning device might have unusual complications.”

“It’s different from Four?” Kylia moved over to the desk.

“Yeah.” Gray sounded certain. “Readings are completely different. Check the archives for ships reported in this area.”

Kylia packaged the information for Nigeria first. Then she checked Institute files. There was a long list of unexplained sightings and readings. “Dr. Toshiko Sato reviewed the location in 2014 to resolve an international dispute involving the Antarctica Treaty. She concluded it was an inaccessible alien spaceship.”

“Is she still alive?” Avril didn’t sound hopeful.

“No. She died while shutting down a Japanese nuclear plant in 2025.” Dr. Sato received numerous posthumous awards from Japan, various international agencies, and Torchwood. Her sacrifice saved an unknown number of people, but it was estimated in the millions.

“Children?” Gray asked.

Kylia could only guess he hoped for a similar expertise. “Adopted. She’s an engineer specializing in green energy.” She checked for more information. Dr. Misu Sato was as impressive as her adopted mother. She oversaw the moon solar plant and interconnected satellite grid.

“Who’s on call for temporal mechanics and malfunctioning spaceships?” Gray turned to the camera.

“The Arctic Observatory. Your mum’s cousin. I don’t remember her name. She coordinates with civilian space agencies, Global’s space station, and the Mars’ network.”

“Better have my mum call. The Sarkisian part of the family is strange.”

“Because of a Miracle Day  mishap , both your paternal grandparents are immortal. A massive, ancient entity used your grandfather against the entire planet and then made your grandmother immortal.” Kylia laughed. “What is your definition of strange, luv?”

Gray gave her his “not funny” look. It made her laugh more. “I’ll you call back.”

Contacting Torchwood Three reminded her of the few remaining memories of the two weeks she spent in the other universe. She’d spent a lot of time in the hub then. When she returned home, she arrived in the office near Trefor Harkness. She met Carressa Sarkisian a few minutes later and their son Gray. Which resulted in events connecting the Harkness and Jones’ families. She didn’t remember telling Jack about the other version of him and her grandfather but knew she had. His family considered it a running joke. No one in her family ever mentioned it again. 

Since losing Grandpa Ianto and Grandma Lisa without hours of each other, she’d thought more and more about the other version of her grandpa. She’d even thought to ask Lewella if she could send a note. She hoped he received it. Until her grandparents died, she hadn’t considered the impact of her leaving the way she did. 

 

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

** Tuesday, December 1, 2020 **

** Dreamscape **

Jack Harkness sat on the edge of an old stage in a WWII era dance hall. He’d attended events more than once in this hall with Estelle. The dream talismans somehow allowed him access to lost memories. Relationship details had faded in the lost years while he was buried. They’d been happy for awhile, and very much in love. Leaving her had been one of many bad decisions. She’d been killed by an ancient being she’d mistakenly thought were fairies. He hadn’t gotten to her in time. The pain was as vivid as the love he’d once felt.

“What the Hell is Keara doing? Kearas?” Gwen demanded as she paced. “Atmore, Dawn, John’s son. The damn corporations. She needs to stop playing sick games and give us information.”

“There is a reason for what’s she’s doing.” He doubted it was sane.

“Rhys is having a rough time. Dawn’s sick, really sick. He thinks it has something to do with Atmore. Like he was crazy when he first came back. If the baby doesn’t make, he’s going to fall apart.”

Jack suspected the Atmore situation and following crisis was saving their marriage. Gwen’s affair with Owen meant she couldn’t judge Rhys for Dawn. Dawn’s pregnancy forced Rhys to re-evaluate his view of Trefor or would force Rhys to down the road. Atmore solved multiple problems. 

“She doesn’t care about the pain she’s causing. Anwen knows about Dawn.”

After the initial anger, Anwen focused on her new baby brother. Knowing her, she was plotting how to introduce the baby to Trefor. She’d probably accept Dawn in time as one more Torchwood oddity. Strangely, Jack suspected Gwen would too.

“You know what I keep thinking. She brought Ianto back from the dead. We need a solid doctor and a scientist familiar with Torchwood. Dmitri and Luc are in over their heads. If she could bring back Ianto, why didn’t she bring back Owen and Tosh?”

Jack suspected they needed Luc for something and the changes meant he’d be ready sooner. Jack could only guess Dmitri was needed for serious alchemy problems. “We don’t know what the limitations are.” Jack suspected she hadn’t brought Ianto back from the dead. She either grabbed him before the 456 gassed him in this universe, which was unlikely as it would have affected his memory, or saved him from a similar fate in a different universe near the same time. 

“Owen and Tosh could review the dreamfish shit and have answers in days. With Luc and Malcolm trying to figure out the basics of genetics, it’ll be months.”

The Doves were another question he had. Nessa had helped with issues surrounding Torchwood Four and was making it possible for the general to function. But from what they’d seen of Keara, there had to be a lot more to it. With what Jeannette endured, he hoped the girl needed something from that horror. After what was done to him and Gwen, what Keara caused or allowed to happen supported the idea that she was insane. All of them were.

“Why now, Jack? Why couldn’t she have stopped Owen from being shot? Or Tosh? Or kept John from blowing up half of Cardiff? Or kept your brother Gray from burying you alive? If she intervened when John showed up the first time, we could have changed so many things. Saved countless lives.”

“I don’t know.” 

Gwen paused, trying to compose herself. “Some therapy this is. I’ve been yelling at you the entire time.”

“You need to yell.” Jack shrugged.

“What do you need?”

It took Jack a moment. “Reassurance.” He slid off the stage. “Being here reminds me of Estelle.”

“That must be painful.”

“Partly. I loved her and I left her. She died because I couldn’t get to her in time.”

Gwen went to respond and stopped.

“Ianto could have died in that car accident. I lost him once. I didn’t learn enough from that.” Jack exhaled. “I love him. I don’t know how to keep from ruining our relationship.”

“Talk to him. Ignore Nessa’s advice.”

Jack smiled at that. “The social events actually helped. Until he met Kylia. Flirting makes him nervous now. Or appears to. He wants kids.”

“Ianto said something about taking mine to the mall. On a weekend in December. He’s lost it.”

“He misses them.”

Gwen shook her head. “How did we wind up this fucked up, Jack?”

“Torchwood.”

Gwen nodded.


	18. Chapter 18

** Trahaym Bach Historical Society; Cardiff, Wales **

** Wednesday, December 2, 2020 **

Ianto Jones rarely did field work. Between his fears and Jack’s concerns, Ianto stayed close to the office. The car accident made it worse. But he needed to stop hiding. Meeting with Teri Pierce was a start. After a brief chat with Teri, Ianto realized connecting Maddox to the historical society wouldn’t be as simple as computer work. Most of the society’s files were paper.

He rang the bell and the door buzzed open. The walls were a dark red with russet wood at the baseboard and ceiling. Paintings on the wall were historical scenes of Wales. A Welsh red dragon adorned the wall next to a doorway. Teri stepped into the hallway. 

“Nice to finally meet you.” Teri smiled. “Jack said you spoke Welsh and were interested in Welsh mythology.”

“Yep.” Being connected to Lewella required both. 

“Not enough people care.”

“I’ve done a lot of research into my family history. I was inspired last year.” Finding out his family was somehow connected to a supernatural being that took an interest in him made it necessary.

“My grandmother used to tell me wonderful stories.” She motioned down the hall. “Are you going to explain what this is really about?”

“A device similar to the one Dr. Petrescu removed here was found in a local house. I need to find the connection between the society and the residents.”

“Do you have pictures?”

Ianto removed his mobile from an inner pocket and brought up a picture of Laren and Maddox. Teri looked at the picture. “She looks so familiar. What’s her surname?”

“McDougall.”

“That’s Scottish. Is she married?”

“Leslie McDougall Dacus.”

Teri looked up from the picture. “That name I know.” She nodded. “Leslie is Laren’s sister?”

“Yeah.”

“Reverend Dacus.” Teri lowered her voice. “He’s a piece of work.”

“How is he connected to the society?”

“His church donates quilts and other traditional Welsh handicrafts. While we accept all kinds of donations related to Welsh culture and history,” Teri hesitated, “Reverend Dacus believes their donations are of higher quality.”

“He’s a self-righteous arse?” Laren’s description was more colorful. Her brother-in-law thought very highly of himself, his view of religion and had a low opinion of women in general. Everything Laren did to help her sister, including moving to another country, wasn’t enough. Dacus expected Laren to join his congregation and behave accordingly.

Teri nodded.

“Is there any chance the device found in the basement arrived with his congregation's donations?” 

“I doubt it. Their donations are quilts and general needlework.”

Something about needlework reminded Ianto of one of Dmitri’s reports. “Do you have pictures? Any embroidery? Anything framed?”

“Yeah.” She said uneasily. “Why?”

“Dr. Petrescu needs to take a look.”

Teri showed Ianto to a sitting room with shelves of binders and dark wood furniture. “Unless we’re displaying them, we store items in very controlled conditions for preservation. The binders make it possible to plan displays and show materials between displays.”

Ianto claimed a table. “It’s organized by donor?”

“By contributor, type of item, age. It varies.”

Ianto called Dmitri and explained what he was doing. “You reported an embroidered device.”

“A ward at the house Martin Tew rigged. I identified it by the engraved frame not the needlework,” Dmitri explained.

Ianto asked Teri about frames.

“If it was part of the art and not damage.” Teri hesitated. “Are you looking for something specific?”

“I’ll switch to speaker phone.” Ianto then set the mobile on the table. “Can you give me an idea of what I’m looking for?”

“Possibly. The engraving was indistinct in a photograph but appeared to be Welsh.” Dmitri took a moment. “It might make you uneasy.”

“We’re not talking creepy paintings?” From Teri’s expression, he suspected she already knew the answer.

“No, ma’am. The feeling often described as ‘someone is walking over my grave.’ That type of uneasy.”

“Uh.” Teri looked like she just thought of something. “I have time to give you a tour of storage, Dr. Petrescu. Would you be available?”

“Yes. I need to arrange a ride. I’ll call John.”

“Perfect.”

Dmitri ended the call.

“What’s wrong?” Ianto asked. “Reverend Dacus’s church is not the only congregation that donates handicrafts.”

 

Jack Harkness noticed Ianto’s car wasn’t in the garage when he returned to the hub for lunch. He checked his mobile. An earlier message mentioned Teri Pierce. Jack checked the time. If Ianto went to the society, he should have been back already.

Jack was debating calling when his phone rang. “I was wondering where you were.”

“Run out of coffee?” Ianto’s joke sounded forced.

“Yeah. I don’t know how the coffee pot works.” Jack gave it a moment. “What happened?”

“Teri offered Dmitri a tour of storage. He found something. He’s not sure what. We need to transport several boxes.” 

“Why?”

Ianto explained about Laren, Reverend Dacus, and the possible connection to the piece Marvyn Tew used. “The Light and the Way donated the boxes. The society will have to list the donations as damaged and discarded to avoid problems.”

That church was a cult with white nationalist ties. “I’ll bring the van.”

 

** Hughes Flats **

Gwen Cooper reviewed an update she received from Andy while taking a break from cleaning. The attempted abduction near Williams Haulage had several problems. Corsen Blethen refused to cooperate. The CCTV footage of the attack was clear enough to see the man attack her. It was enough to arrest Gerrell Thoburn, but not enough to hold him. He disappeared. Cowley surprisingly kept investigating and determined that Blethen wasn’t an escort but taking donations to a women’s charity. According to his report, he had no idea why she was in the area and she refused to say. He’d been unable to follow-up as she ditched her burner.

There were various reasons victims of crimes wouldn’t cooperate. A background on Blethen showed she’d been a victim of domestic abuse as a teenager and spent two years in foster care. Her mother died and was possibility murdered when Blethen was in care. Her father was in prison for beating his girlfriend to death while awaiting trial on an unrelated case. It reminded Gwen of the missing children. A cult hadn’t been ruled out. But any of that could explain why Blethen refused to cooperate.

Less than a week after being released from jail, Thoburn was found in Grangemoor Park near the Ely River. He’d been fatally shot. The head wound killed him, but he’d been shot three times in or around the groin first. Dr. Floyd once commented that if she had a male body in the morgue that had been shot in the groin, she could reasonably assume he raped someone. 

Gwen couldn’t help but wonder about the vigilante. All known victims were easily identifiable because of strange injuries. Except, the man who attacked Blethen. It could have been the situation or that Rhys witnessed it, but Thoburn’s injuries were different. Which suggested there could be more victims with different injuries. 

Regardless of who killed him or even why he targeted Blethen, the question of Gwen had related to the abduction attempt. Why were Blethen and Thoburn anywhere near Williams Haulage? Neither the uniforms nor Cowley could answer that one. She needed more information on both to guess.

Anwen interrupted by sitting across the table from her. “We’re feeling neglected.”

Gwen smiled, closing her laptop. “I haven’t been sitting here that long.”

“At least twenty minutes.” Anwen made a show of checking her watch. “You pick us up from school now so we don’t feel like our parents don’t love us.”

“What would make you feel more loved?”

“Pizza.” Anwen was trying to keep a straight face and failing.

Gwen laughed. “Try again.”

“You’ve been cleaning for two hours. Do you really want to cook? Dad will be home soon.”

“I’ll cook.”

Anwen tried for a look of horror. “First neglect and then child abuse.”

Trefor stepped into the main room from their bedroom and called, “I want pepperoni.” 


	19. Chapter 19

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

Investigating The Light and the Way was problematic. Ianto Jones wasn’t sure where to start. Officially, it was a church. The congregation and motivations changed over the years. What had once been a conservative Christian church looked more like an extremist group or a cult. The remaining members were mostly older. Few new members joined. Complaints had been filed against the church by almost everyone. According to one news article from 2018, a well-known white nationalist said the group’s leader Matthew Erwood was out of his mind.

Dmitri suspected there was a lot more to the items they confiscated than the congregation practicing alchemy. From the age of the quilts and other donations, many of which were hand-stitched, the current group probably didn’t make them. He also thought the items were not malicious. He was certain that the framed, hand-stitched wall-hangings were wards similar to the one Marvyn Tew had in the house, except the energy was positive. Which suggested the items were not related to the devices found at the society or in Laren McDougall’s basement. 

“What’s the story behind Teri Pierce?” John asked from his desk. He was reviewing some type of blueprints.

Ianto explained about the Weevil attack and her immunity to Retcon.

“There was something off about her behavior.”

Ianto looked up. “What do you mean?”

“Dmitri said that items might make you uneasy. Pierce offered a cult. Dmitri found boxes of questionable donations, but he views all artifacts as dangerous.” John took a moment. “If she knew they were harmless, she wouldn’t have suggested them.”

“You think she redirected to the church’s donations to distract us from something else?”

John nodded. “She called Jack. It’s unlikely she’s behind the devices. Her crimes are mundane.”

“Black market antiques.” That immediately came to mind. With so many donations, particularly from estates, it might be easy to hide the occasional theft. Ianto replayed the meeting in his head. She introduced herself, said something nice about him and offered little about herself. 

“Or she’s using the society as a front. Antiquities, drugs, guns.” John shrugged. 

The best way to consider the possibility was CCTV footage. With no digital records, he had no way to easily access her schedule or donations. Then something occurred to him. “I was asking about frames. She didn’t want to show me binders of framed donations.”

 

Dmitri Petrescu carefully unpacked the beautiful handicrafts. They reminded him of his youth. Quilts, tiny christening gowns and various items that might be packed in a hope chest. One box had hand-made wedding dresses. The odd energy seemed to emanate from crystals and wire-like thread. Each piece was calming.

From the energy, he suspected they were created by a small group of older women. While they were odd coming from a church, the mindset wasn’t. He wondered if maybe they followed old world beliefs and attended a new world church. It wouldn’t have been the first time a coven hid in plain sight. Although he’d never heard of one that warded baby clothes. 

Hours later, he came to unexpected conclusions and headed upstairs to Jack’s office. It felt weird concluding the people responsible for creating artifacts weren’t dangerous.

The door slid open and Dmitri stepped into the office as Jack replaced the receiver on the desk phone. It still felt weird seeing him behind the desk. The Jack he knew and had been friends with wasn’t the type of man who could handle an office job. He was a con artist with tactical skills. A lot had changed since then. 

“You found something?” 

“Yes.” He explained what he knew. “As the artifacts could potentially be re-purposed, we will have to keep them.” Dmitri hesitated. “When I spoke to Ianto and Ms. Pierce I mentioned an uneasy feeling. She immediately thought of the boxes. From Ianto’s reaction to the church, I would guess they’re not nice people. But there is nothing about these donations that should make a person uncomfortable. I would find anyone unnerved by them to be suspect.” 

 

Jack Harkness found John checking the latest maintenance bots from Four. He and Anwen were the only ones that used the converted maintenance room. Anwen commented days ago he was bored and needed something to do before he got into trouble. From what Jack had seen, John was definitely restless. Which was never good.

“I didn’t do it.” John was reviewing a system analysis.

Jack smiled. “What didn’t you do?” 

“Whatever.” John looked up. “I’m clean, sober and bored.”

“Want an assignment?”

John eyed him. “Does it involve ghosts?”

Jack laughed. “No. Teri Pierce.”

“She’s a problem. I checked her Torchwood file after Ianto mentioned there was one. Weevils are sensitive to certain types of alien technology, time, and various changes. Torchwood has treated them like feral dogs. You put them in cages. Past Torchwood hunted them for sport.” John took a moment. “Weevils are empathic and communal. They are either genetically modified or traumatized as a community.”

“What did your Anwen do with them?”

“Had a mandate to subdue and relocate. She converted the island that had been used for Rift survivors to a Weevil habitat. Most viewed it as forced relocation and imprisonment.” John shook his head. “Weevils bury their dead when given the opportunity.”

Jack nodded. “And Teri?”

“She set that Weevil off. Her name needs to be run through Global.”

John’s comments were unexpected. Future Torchwood changed him. Jack had trouble looking beyond their past to see it. On the few occasions he spoke about his experiences in the former timeline, he talked about the dark side of 2049 and the years leading up to it. The general viewed his older sister as a saint. John related to her demons. Tending Weevils sounded like Gwen’s influence. Jack couldn’t help but wonder about the woman responsible for challenging time itself. John’s devotion was only one aspect of her legacy.


	20. Chapter 20

** (homeless shelter); Cardiff, Wales **

** Monday, December 7, 2020 **

 

Gwen Cooper parked in the shelter’s adjacent car park. From what Ianto said about the place, they accepted mostly women with children under ten. Any shelter accepting homeless women and children, domestic issues would be a problem, but it wasn’t overly secure. There was a domestic violence shelter nicknamed the castle because it could withstand a siege. One of the questions she needed to ask was whether the woman should be transferred.

Dmitri said nothing on the drive. Eira Fithan, the head of the charity, called Ianto and asked a lot of questions about Dmitri. The woman asked shelter workers to call Dmitri because she needed a doctor and was afraid to go to the A&E. For some reason, Fithan was concerned that Dmitri was involved in the woman’s injuries. 

“Before we go in.” Gwen popped the keys out of the ignition. “How do you know Telyn Lewison?”

“Whitchurch library.” Dmitri sighed. “We talk about books. From what she said, there was no man in her life. She had all the signs of domestic violence whether it’s 1948 or 2020. If I thought…” He shook his head.

Gwen set her hand on his. “When did you talk last?”

“Two or three weeks ago. She asked new questions. We talked a bit about jobs. Then Dr. Floyd called and I had to go.”

“Have you ever been in a shelter?”

“Not recently. And not like the kind there are today.” He hesitated. “Views on domestic violence and crimes against women were very different. Post WWII women were working. Torchwood was sane about basic equality. But it was a different world.”

Gwen nodded. “Keep your voice down. Don’t make eye contact or sudden moves.”

“I know.” Dmitri reached for the door handle and stopped. “Telyn is afraid of the police.”

Hopefully, that was a cultural quirk. Domestic situations involving constables were ugly. The spouse was often afraid of calling 999, fearing the responders would side with the abuser. There were good constables that would file the report and demand protection. Even with policies in place, the best hope was an internal investigation. After the Shone situation, she had little faith in the Cardiff PD watchdogs.

Dmitri hesitated outside the door. “I wasn’t trying to date Telyn. I’m not like Jack.”

Gwen couldn’t help but wonder how many times Dmitri had to tell people that. She knew they’d been friends in the 1940s before Dmitri disappeared with the Arctic Wind. It also made her wonder what she didn’t know about Jack. Dmitri’s reaction to his old friend and the fact that he now preferred John’s company said a lot.

The side door opened. “Ms. Cooper, Dr. Petrescu, please come in. I’m Eira Fithan. I know you’re busy. I appreciate you taking the time.”

“It’s not a problem.” Having to accompany Dmitri was annoying, but she understood. “How serious are Ms. Lewison’s injuries?”

Fithan motioned down the hall and they followed. “I’m not sure. I would prefer she go to an A&E. She’s adamant that’s a bad idea.”

“Did she say why?”

The older woman nodded. “Telyn said he has connections. After many years of managing a charity, I’ve heard just about everything. Some true. Some not. It’s my guess she believes what she’s saying.”

“Did she give a name?”

“No. I had hoped she’d tell Dr. Petrscu.” Fithan paused. “I’m sorry I asked your co-worker embarrassing questions.”

“That’s not a problem, ma’am,” Dmitri assured. “You were making sure Telyn is safe.”

“I’m not sure she is. If she has a valid fear of the police and going to the hospital, it’s not safe here. She needs to be relocated to a shelter that can write a fake name in the sign in book.”

They had already done something similar with Laren McDougall and Maddox. She wasn’t sure but thought the Sisters relocated people without abilities. The only alternative they currently had was Nigeria. While no one outside the facility would likely ask questions, it wasn’t a good option. Some of the Atmore people were having problems and wanted new locations.

“We will make arrangements, if necessary,” Gwen said. “It will take some time.”

 

** Torchwood Three **

Ianto Jones reviewed the information on the man Telyn Lewison named. It wasn’t a good situation. Reluctantly, he headed for the conference room. Jack had been working with Gwen until the call from the charity came in. He was still sitting at the head of the table when Ianto entered.

Jack looked up from a laptop. “Miss me already?” 

“I was feeding the Weevils. Their manners reminded me you hadn’t had lunch yet.”

Jack laughed.

Ianto wished the humor would last. “Powell Beddoe. He’s a millionaire with business interests in Cardiff and family connections in London.” He crossed the room to stand near Jack.

The sparkle faded in Jack’s eyes. “What did he do?”

“According to Dmitri’s friend Telyn, he beats women. She thought she was free of him. Then she encountered him last night. He made demands. She said no. A couple of big blue collar workers interrupted. She insisted they didn’t call 999. Instead, they got her a cab and sent her to the shelter.”

“How bad is she injured?”

“Bruises and a sprained wrist. Gwen left Nessa a message about calling the Sisters. Nessa’s in class.”

“Is it our case?”

“Yeah.” Ianto nodded. “Beddoe owns the facility John was fed information about. He’s indirectly connected to the Gordon-Glen exec married to Maxwell Evanson’s mother.”

Jack sat back. “The staged sting might not have been as stupid as it looked.”

“Yeah.” Ianto figured it got worse. “And Sawyer was interested in separating Laren from Maddox. He’s a known misogynist. But he could be connected to Gordon-Glen.”

“Where did John get the bad tip?”

“I don’t know. The tip on the kid in Liverpool social services was accurate.”

“We need to check into it.” Jack considered. “Where’s John?”

Under other circumstances, Ianto would have laughed. “Babysitting Dawn. Ken’s at work. Rhys had to go into his office this morning, but will be taking over this afternoon.”

Jack’s expression was priceless. “How did that happen?”

“Dmitri asked.”

“Coordinate with Kailen. I want everything you can find on Powell Beddoe and his family.”


	21. Chapter 21

** Red Dragon Centre; Cardiff, Wales **

Jack Harkness stepped off the lift and headed for Bute Place. He’d been thinking more and more they needed to expand. The computer Janne Talbot used in London to attack Cardiff had potential. Since the temporal quake that followed the second explosion on the island south of Vietnam, there had been an increase in odd events and more countries were realizing that Torchwood not simply a strange British thing people found amusing online. Consult requests from law enforcement were increasing still. Interpol wanted Torchwood jurisdiction criteria.

He’d spent an hour and twenty minutes on a conference call with politicians in London. One outright asked about rebuilding the Institute. The general argument seemed to be that Queen Victoria founded Torchwood. Great Britain should be in control. Reminding them that the hub had to rebuild itself because the British government blew it up to interfere with Torchwood saving the world’s children didn’t go over well. Regardless of country, politicians played games. If Torchwood answered to any governing body, people would die and the world could be destroyed because a committee couldn’t agree on something.

Having coffee with Dr. Floyd gave him an excuse to take a break. He needed to spend more time with Ianto even if it meant a trip to the mall with the kids. He rarely admitted it, but the stress got to him. The insanity of the last year-and-a-half was taking a toll.

Jack stepped into the coffee shop. The doctor had already found a place in the corner to sit. She held up a second coffee mug to show she’d bought him one already. He couldn’t help but notice she’d done her hair and applied lipstick. He didn’t know what she wore off-duty, but on-duty it was unusual.

“What’s the occasion?” He sat across from her.

“Stealing a page from Cowley’s playbook.” She smiled. “I told my assistant I was meeting you for coffee.”

“He thinks it’s a date?”

Dr. Floyd nodded. “I have a politically sensitive case.”

“That bad?”

“Yeah. DCI Sawyer died. It will make the news tonight. He was weeks from retirement after more than thirty years.”

That couldn’t be good. “How?”

“Officially, he had a massive coronary. Natural causes. Hiring a barely legal prostitute that looks his granddaughter’s age can do that. No proof of money changing hands.” She shook her head. “It’s a wonder he could pay women to  date him.”

“What actually happened?”

The doctor passed him a flash-drive. “A fish that disagreed with him.”

Shit. “Is he being cremated?”

“Yeah. Best way to get rid of the evidence. Or protect his reputation, depending on the spin.”

“We have reason to believe that Sawyer was involved with something much worse than prostitution. You need to be careful,” Jack insisted.

“I know.”

 

** Saint David’s Mall **

Christmas was a strange holiday, John Hart thought side-stepping a pair of running preteens. It seemed to be a commercialized family event where how much a person spent on their loved ones somehow equated to how much they loved them. Anwen’s attempts at family Christmas in the late 2040s had been awkward at best. The Torchwood Christmas event Ianto had in mind appeared to be based on decorations. He was already turning Luc’s former flat on the second floor into a party area. With a very pregnant woman and kids, he suspected it would be focused on presents. And food. Ken enthusiastically talked about recipes. One more bizarre experience to blame Torchwood for.

Robert joined him. “What is this insanity?” He spoke English using a discreet translator that looked like hands-free mobile. 

“Either a commercialized religious holiday or a commercialized family holiday.” John shrugged. 

“I have more information on that building.”

“You need to be careful.”

Robert nodded. “Especially since Noble Industries is cold storage.”

“For what?” Although John suspected he already knew. Sal said the location was connected to a terrorist plot. They were looking for aquariums. The dreamfish were a ridiculous method of dispersal and could have been a diversion.

“Aerosol dispersal units.” Robert handed him a data storage device. “I got a spy bot into the basement. They have impressive, scary, alien tech. Do you know what Bose-Einstein Condensate is?”

“No.”

“It’s damn near absolute zero. Researchers use it as a way to potentially identify theoretical particles. Or advanced theories of quantum and temporal physics. I have no idea what they could want it for. They’re making biological weapons not researching the universe.”

John asked, “What’s your skill set?”

“I’m an engineer.” Robert laughed. “Mum was a genius, except for her taste in men.”

“Could it be used to find your spaceship?”

“Depends if they have someone who knows how to evaluate theoretical dimensions. They would need a lot more than condensate.”

 

** Torchwood Three **

Having the kids in his office was ironically relaxing for Ianto Jones. Anwen didn’t want to do her homework and demanded to know where John was every few minutes. Trefor insisted on building a Lego castle on his desk. Researching the Beddoe family with a three-year-old on his lap happily talking about a program he watched at daycare about hot air balloons was an experience.

With Gwen working another part of the Gordon-Glen situation with Jack, Dmitri still at the shelter with his friend, John and Ken had plans that couldn’t be interrupted, and that left Rhys was left watching Dawn. Anwen thankfully hadn’t asked any questions after school.

Picking up Trefor from Rhiannon’s daycare was much better than the fancy place Trefor had been previously. Stella Shone, Trefor’s former teacher, hadn’t approved of his relationship with Jack. Ianto hoped Trefor was happier at Davies Daycare. It was less pretentious. Trefor’s Rift eliminated the abduction risk. Which was the main reason he’d been at the other daycare.

When one of his tablets raised off the desk by itself, he knew Anwen’s boredom was not going away. “How would you like to research something inappropriate on social media?”

That drew Anwen across the office. She claimed a chair across the desk from him. “Like what?”

“Parties and raves in Cardiff.” He needed the information and from what he’d seen of the announcements previously, they were nothing graphic. But it sounded questionable enough to get her attention.

“The drug case?”

“Yeah. Avoid reading the group posts and announcements as much as possible.”

Anwen nodded and grabbed the tablet she’d just had floating above his desk. “I am not interested in the mating habits of Cardiff’s nightlife.”

As crazy as it sounded, it felt normal. 


	22. Chapter 22

** Torchwood Nova Scotia; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada **

** Thursday, December 9, 2020 **

Kailen Sylla sat back and stared at his screen. His first thought was another Atmore. He sent a second drone to repeat scans with the method Luc used to determine Atmore was from a different universe in mind. The old science or military base appeared to be built with local materials. He searched for a Google map of the area. It wasn’t labeled, but the facility was shown. An energy reading comparison flagged files at Three.

“What did you find?” Aman walked up behind him.

Kailen motioned at his screen. “I don’t know. Jack did multiple analysis of that warehouse on Cardiff Docks. The one where the guy died from fulgurite. The energy is similar.”

Aman slid a hand over his shoulder. “Luc and Eryn are back.”

“Why would someone risk that?” Kailen set a hand over Aman’s.

“Power and money.”

“Computer activate intercom.” Kailen waited until it clicked. “Luc we have a Cardiff Docks situation in Alaska.”

“Fulgurite?” Eryn asked.

“Universe breach, Er. Looks intentional.”

“We need to contact Captain Harkness. Luc needs to review data. Kailen package what we have and write a summary. Aman, what do we know of the area?”

“Northern Alaska. It could be a national park.”

“Atmore analysis?”

Kailen laughed, pausing with his hands above his keyboard. “Local.”

“Bubble?” Luc asked.

“No distortion,” Kailen said. 

“Land a drone. No up-link,” Luc insisted. “The Americans will notice.”

 

Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland

High school was rough before Malcolm Dove moved in the middle of his senior year to another country. After everything Eddie did or caused, redoing one year of high school shouldn’t be difficult. At least with the previous school, he knew most of the arses. Teleporting out of a janitor’s closet was a wake-up call. He wouldn’t be going back to math club. 

“Are you okay?” Molly sat next to him on the floor in the above ground garden. 

“Yeah.” 

She reached for his hand. “What did the guys do?”

“Usual shit about being gay.” Malcolm sighed, clicking the tablet off. “Kevan Rossiter, the leader of the math club, is a sociopath.”

“A group of guys who couldn’t get a girlfriend if their life depended on it?” Molly twined their fingers together. 

“They buy them.” Malcolm shook his head. “One of the scholarship girls was talking about the nerds flaunting money. I could believe they were being arses about her scholarship. Family money can equal bad behavior no matter where we are. But they’ve reached new lows.”

“You could mention me.”

“No.” He didn’t want to take the chance they’d go after her. “They’re messed up, Molly.”

“What did you do?” 

“I left an anonymous message with school security that Kevan was dealing study drugs and listed the entire math club as customers. They’ll be peeing in cups the rest of year.”

“That might include you.”

Malcolm shrugged. “Small price to pay.”

“Do you want to get out of here for awhile? There’s a shoe sale at the mall.” Molly hesitated. “After what happened the first time at Blandchardstown, I don’t want to go alone.”

Malcolm couldn’t blame her. That situation gave him nightmares. “I have some information for General Williams first. I might have found cases similar to something Three is dealing with in Cardiff.”

“Where?”

“France. I heard the general and Liam discussing a corporation that Three is having trouble tracking. I was thinking the deaths were distinctive.”

Molly leaned her head on his shoulder. “When did this become normal?”

 

Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

Jack Harkness called a meeting in the conference room. They had what was looking more and more like one complex problem instead of multiple problems. The question was how the pieces fit together. He hoped if they sat down and discussed it, the situation would make more sense. 

Ianto set mugs of coffee on the table. “Mrs. Fithan called. There is a problem at the shelter.” He sat next to Jack. “Dmitri tried calling Telyn on a burner phone he bought her. When she didn’t answer, he went to the shelter concerned that her injuries were worse than he thought. She’s not there.”

Gwen looked up from a laptop. “Why isn’t Telyn in Birmingham?” 

“She refused to go.”

“Where is Dmitri?” Jack asked.

“He went to find her.” Ianto sipped his coffee. “He previously asked for one of the GPS tags. I thought it was a bit extreme.” He shrugged. 

Jack grabbed his mobile. 

“I talked to John,” Ianto said. “Dmitri called him.”

Jack sent a text message anyway. Dmitri hadn’t been thinking clearly since Telyn was hurt.

“Are we trusting them not to blow up Cardiff?” Gwen lifted her mug. 

“Yeah.” Jack nodded. Dmitri would keep John under control. “We have bigger problems.”

Jack summarized what they knew about the dream fish situation. Everything appeared to connect to Gordon-Glen, an affiliate of Cattrel Industries. There were six dead, including Sawyer. Evidence suggested a retrovirus that targeted certain unknown genetics and killed anyone that didn’t have it. A building that looked like a police sting had units for dispersing something into the air. Luc had a drone sitting on the facility armed with a EMP, and had more on standby, if necessary. Maddox had a symbiont energy creature. It could be similar to what killed the men in Forest Farm . The building and Sawyer’s actions toward at least two cases connected the veteran police officer to both Gordon-Glen and a planned mass casualty attack. Malcolm’s research potentially identified another location and more deaths.

“Telyn, Dmitri’s friend, said Powell Beddoe wanted something from her. He’s connected to the building and Gordon-Glen. She assumed it was sex. Is it possible Beddoe knew about her connection to Dmitri?” Gwen met Jack’s eyes. “Or staged it.”

 

** (warehouse near Williams Haulage) **

John Hart remembered the van ride with Miriam Morgans to Swansea and again found himself wondering how he became the voice of reason. When Dmitri called, John hadn’t been sure what the problem was. At some point, he’d implanted his friend with a GPS tag. Given the risk to her safety, and that she later disappeared, that might not be as questionable as it sounded. Dmitri’s response suggested a past, similar situation ended badly. 

“We’re near Rhys’ business.”

Dmitri looked at his hand-held GPS tracking device. “There was a young woman attacked near here. The police couldn’t figure out where she came from.”

“The vigilante interfered.” John suddenly wondered if Telyn’s disappearance was related to the woman who beat up and possibly killed male offenders. “Dmitri, the police couldn’t figure out where the vigilante came from either.”

“Telyn’s in that warehouse.”

John flipped open his wrist-strap and scanned the area. The alien technology was insane. The injuries the vigilante inflicted indicated that she didn’t know what planet she was on. Which he agreed with Jack was strange. She might have been trying to send a message to anyone who would understand it.

“We need to get her out.”

John grabbed Dmitri by the shoulder. “That is an alien fortress. From the level of technology, a very advanced one. I think Telyn was rescued.”

Dmitri looked at him in disbelief.

John tapped his ear com, his open wrist-strap briefly causing feedback from proximity. “Jack.”

“Everything all right?”

“We found Telyn.”

“It could be a trap.”

“No. It’s the vigilante. She converted a warehouse near Rhys’ business.” John described the location.

Jack asked, “What kind of tech?”

“Crazy. Probably the most advanced I’ve ever seen.”

“Get out of there.”

John suspected the alien allowed them to follow the tracker and knew they were outside. With the level of technology she had, it would be impossible not to. She didn’t consider them a threat. It also suggested she knew about Torchwood and the Time Agency vortex manipulators. If she had been trying to send a message with the odd injuries, it was probably to them.

 

** Torchwood Three **

Jack Harkness waited on the main floor by the big door. While he didn’t have access to much of his memories, he could tell when John was hiding something. When the two returned, Jack sent Dmitri to the conference room. Then he waited until they were alone.

The conversation with John as Dmitri drove back from the warehouse said there was a problem. It had something to do with alien technology in the area and the building with the aerosol dispensers. “What aren’t you telling me?” 

John sighed. “I wasn’t the one who found the tech in the basement.”

“Who did?” 

“Robert.” John took a moment. “The man who approached Anwen was looking for me. He’s my son.”

“Why didn’t you mention it?”

“Do you want a list?”

Jack crossed his arms. While the protectiveness might indicate John’s moral compass was functioning, Jack suspected there was a lot more to it. 

“He’s not my son from this universe. He checked for wrist-straps because he’s hiding from the Time Agency in his universe. They killed his father in front of him.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t ask. We both know what I’m capable of.”

Jack couldn’t picture a situation where the Time Agency would kill one of its own. “Why is he hiding?”

“He said because he’s a witness. I suspect he went after the Agency.”

“How did he get here?”

“Robert said he doesn’t know. Luc needs to check the island in Southeast Asia for ruins. If Robert’s telling the truth, there is a very old hibernation chamber there.”

Jack rubbed his face. Reviewing new energy readings of the island led to an unexpected memory location for his first dream-sharing with Gwen. The memory had something to do with alien ruins that appeared to have similar scan readings to the island and a chamber underneath.

“Would you have brought the general in under these circumstances?”

No, Jack thought, he wouldn’t have.


	23. Chapter 23

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

** Saturday, December 11, 2020 **

Gwen Cooper woke to the sound of her mobile playing some ridiculous eighties song. She had no idea when Anwen reprogrammed it. She reached for the phone and grabbed the alarm clock instead. The read-out said 4:38 AM. That couldn’t be good.

“Cooper.”

“Sorry to wake you.” Andy sounded about as awake as she felt. “It’s ugly, Gwen. Really ugly.” She could hear some type of siren in the background. 

“Where are you?” 

“Home. It’s in my backyard.”

“Is there someone there I can talk to, Andy?”

“Yeah.” There was a quick, quiet conversation in the background.

“Mrs. Williams,” Dr. Floyd said. “Sergeant Davidson is in shock. I’m handing him back over to a paramedic.”

Gwen sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “What happened?”

“We’re working on that. A person, reportedly a man, was set on fire in Davidson’s backyard more than an hour ago. It took the fire department time to extinguish the chemical fire. Police and fire are canvasing the area.”

“Is Andy still living in the house he got his parents?” With multiple constables in the area, the killer was bold.

“Yeah.”

The last time she’d seen a homicide by fire, it was a drug dispute. “Was he targeted?” 

“Him, his roommates or a strange coincidence.”

Gwen climbed out of bed. “Roommate? DC Connie Ryan and Constable Peter Harries?”

“Yeah. Harries has been staying with his parents for a week. Something about surgery. Ryan is on duty.”

“Please tell the paramedics, and any constables that ask, that I will pick up Andy. He needs to stay there. Have Harries and Ryan been notified?”

“Yeah. They were told immediately. An officer-needs-assistance went out. The original 999 caller thought Andy was the victim.”

“Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” The call ended.

Rhys propped himself up an elbow. “What happened?”

“There’s a problem at Andy’s house.”

“Mum?” Anwen stepped into the doorway to the bathroom.

“Please go back to bed.”

 

Jack Harkness sat at the kitchen table booting laptops and tablets. It was guaranteed to be a long day. One of the advantages to having the building is they could have impromptu meetings with no notice at odd hours. The immediate question was the target. If it was Andy Davidson then a Torchwood case was probably involved. Although a Sergeant, his duties more often than not involved coordination. Connie Ryan, Andy’s long-term girlfriend, worked vice and could arguably have enemies violent enough to burn someone in her backyard. Peter Harries worked with the community and children. If Harries was accused of misconduct, Jack could see someone setting him on fire but not someone else.

John stepped into the flat wearing gray sweats and a Winnie-the-Pooh t-shirt. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“I used the rest of the coffee,” Ianto said from the kitchen. “We need to get more.”

“You have tattoos?” John squinted trying to identify the images. “Of what?”

Ianto absently rubbed his chest over his heart. “Spirit marks. Cat and owl.” He walked toward Jack. “I need a shower.”

Jack grabbed Ianto’s hand, and pulled him down for a kiss.

“Get a room.”

“He’s jealous.” Jack motioned at John.

Ianto rolled his eyes and disappeared into the bedroom. 

Dmitri entered wearing the same clothes as yesterday. “You’re wearing Ken’s clothes?” He rubbed his face and looked toward the coffee pot.

“Have a seat.” Jack motioned for a chair. “It’s not ready yet.”

Dmitri dropped onto a chair across from Jack. “What happened?”

Jack handed John a tablet. “Torched body in Andy Davidson’s backyard.”

“Gwen’s old partner from the Cardiff police force?”

“Yeah.”

Dmitri rubbed his face. 

Jack’s mobile rang. “Harkness.”

“Good Mrs. Williams already woke you,” Dr. Floyd said.

“What can you tell me?”

“Officially, nothing.” She took a moment. “Connie Ryan insisted on a solid security system. CCTV footage identified Powell Beddoe. He’s a local millionaire with old money and connections. One of his local contacts was DCI Sawyer.”

“You need to be careful.”

“Yeah. This is my back-up phone.” Dr. Floyd ended the call.

“Dmitri, have you talked to Telyn?” She identified Beddoe as the man who beat her and said he had a history of abusing women. 

“Briefly. Telyn said she’s all right.” Dmitri rubbed the back of his neck. “She didn’t say it, but some of what she said makes me think Telyn isn’t the only person the alien has in the warehouse. The vigilante has been hurting or killing men who commit crimes against women. The missing children are at-risk females.”

Jack hoped the alien was as altruistic as she sounded and had nothing to do with Beddoe’s death. Killing violent abusers was one thing. Burning the man alive was another. “Did Telyn say she’d stay in contact?”

“Yeah.” Dmitri ran his hand over the device on his wrist. “I failed her.”

Jack looked at John briefly. John shrugged. Another situation where early memories would help. There was a lot more to Dmitri’s state of mind than a casual friend. “You need to get some sleep.”

“No. What can I help with?”

“Statistics on fire as a murder weapon. Start with Interpol.”

Dmitri grabbed a tablet.

John set the tablet down. “I need fifteen minutes.”

“Go ahead.”

 

** Andy Davidson’s House **

Gwen Cooper parked behind a supervisor vehicle. From the number of cruisers, she wondered if half the police force was there. Along with a couple fire departments and a Hazmat specialty unit. She thankfully didn’t have to canvas at 5 AM on a Saturday. The neighbors would not be happy.

“Hey.” Connie Ryan walked over to her wearing sweats and sneakers.

“Morning.”

“Is this a Torchwood case?” Connie asked.

“We’re working on that. Andy called. He sounded out of it.”

Connie motioned her down the sidewalk and started walking. “999 caller was probably not one of the neighbors. One side is two fire fighters. They like working nights and are on duty. The other side is an eighty year-old that was woke by uniforms. Call came in on a disposable phone. Voice was indistinct and possible voice distortion.”

“That sounds like the plot to a bad movie.”

Connie nodded. “One of my cases was overturned. The guy is a real nut case.” She didn’t confident. “While this is definitely something he would do, I bet he’s hold up with his groupies. We’ve been barred for surveillance.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Connie shook her head. “Evidence disappeared. One of the witnesses took a sudden, extended trip to visit her mother in Spain.”

“We need to chat somewhere less chaotic.” Gwen had questions she couldn’t ask surrounded by constables.

Connie greeted a couple constables walking the opposite direction. “Yeah.”


	24. Chapter 24

** Noble Industries; Cardiff, Wales **

Jack Harkness approached the barricade. It reminded him of the police station situation where a teenager went on a rampage. Cowley stood by a uniformed officer, much like he had that day. He could hear Bree telling him not to threaten to kiss people, and couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s funny?” Cowley asked.

“Nothing.” 

Cowley motioned him away from the uniform. “That building is full of biological weapons.”

They knew that much already. Luc had been maintaining surveillance. They needed to know who made the weapons. A drone capable of EMPs was still on the roof. Others were on standby. “Do you know what kind?”

“No.” 

Jack couldn’t help but notice Cowley’s attitude had changed since Jodi’s death. The question was why. “I’m taking the case.”

“I figured. When I arrived, I noticed a small robot that looked like the Decepticon from the Transformer movies. It reminded me of you.”

Jack didn’t want to know why. 

“Do we need to call UNIT?” 

“No,” Jack said. The general had already figured out how to disable the canisters and destroy the retrovirus. “There’s alien tech in the basement.” 

Cowley nodded. “What do you need from us?”

“Figure out who authorized those cars.” Jack motioned toward the car park. “They’re from police impound. It looks like a really badly planned police sting.”

The blood rushed from Cowley’s face as he turned to look. “No.”

Jack lowered his voice. “We have reason to believe DCI Sawyer was involved in this situation, and that it led to his death.”

Cowley turned back, his eyes on the ground. “This could be what got Jodi killed.”

“You need to be careful.”

 

General Trefor Williams portaled into the area. After everything he’d seen, aerosol canisters for airborne release of a retrovirus were just one more crime against humanity. He was long past the point of thinking atrocities were only committed by aliens. If humans hadn’t been making backroom deals with aliens, they could have saved the planet. He wouldn’t be marooned in the past. 

“What are you wearing?” Jack asked.

“Nessa’s idea. With the ponytail and bright colors, no one will notice I look like you.” The general actually preferred the clownish retro clothes his father wore to ridiculous outfit he was wearing. 

Jack took a moment. “John’s in Nova Scotia discussing the final tech modifications with Luc.”

The general nodded. He jury-rigged a back-up option before leaving Dublin and they could still use the EMP bursts from the drones, if they had to. While he appreciated an easily resolved WMD situation, there was something wrong. On all accounts, DCI Sawyer was a bumbling investigator long past his expiration date. The fake sting looked that stupid on the surface. But people capable of producing retroviruses capable of mass distribution didn’t leave protection of their devices to cheap theater tricks.

“Jack, you said there is tech in the basement.”

“Yeah.”

“What kind?”

“Advanced science. It was described as equipment necessary to produce and store Bose-Einstein Condensate.”

“Isn’t that for particle research?”

“Yeah.”

There was something seriously wrong. “This is to easy. It has to be a dispersal trap for Torchwood, local emergency services and possibly UNIT.”

“That makes more sense.” Jack sighed. “Is there a way to extend a ballistic shield around this building? Then we send in maintenance bots.”

“Overlapping shields mounted on drones. Yeah. We need to control the oxygen and increase the levels. The bots would need to be scan-capable and armed. We’d detonate a bot with a destabilizer charge and the whole building flash fries. Collapse the shields on the building as a secondary.”

 

Jack Harkness watched as the general coordinated with Liam in Dublin, and Luc and Kailen in Nova Scotia. Even with the ridiculous clothes, Jack could see himself in the older version of his son. They had a similar approach to leadership. Even their body language was similar. There was a conflict with Liam that he found stupid, and Liam’s hesitation was angering him. 

“Luc has taken remote control of the maintenance bot through one of the drones not maintaining the shield. Kailen is simultaneously controlling several drones. He says it’s like playing a video game.”

“He’s nineteen.”

The general nodded. “Anwen had someone modify a flight simulator to look like the Millennium Falcon for my nineteenth birthday.” His mobile chimed. “Detonation countdown.”

The Cardiff police and fire departments had evacuated blocks around the building. A moment after the general’s phone chimed again, the ground shook and fire filled the energy box made from ballistic shields. Without more oxygen, it was quickly extinguished. A loud crunching sound reverberated as the box closed on the remaining structure and flattening it nearly to the ground.

Jack checked his wrist-straps. “The basement survived.”

“Luc’s robotics are different now.” The general said reviewing his own scan results. “At some point he must have shifted to focus entirely on physics.”

That could explain why Keara wanted Luc introduced to Torchwood outside of Canada sooner. If Luc viewed the robotics as a hobby or a part of his childhood, he might not have seen its value. With Atmore and various other situations, he now knew differently.

“I need to get back to Dublin.”

“Are you dating your office manager?”

The general turned and glared at him. “No. I’m thinking it’s more likely you dated his grandmother during WWII and that’s why she’s trying to convince him Torchwood is like the mafia and I will make him disappear for knowing to much.”

“Name?”

“Niamh Doughtery is her married name.”

He surprisingly remembered Niamh. The memories were part of what returned after sharing the WWII dance hall memory in a dream with Gwen. “I didn’t date her. She was a friend of Estelle’s. She worked with Irish and British Intelligence as some type of liaison. Her husband was an Irish citizen serving in the British Army to fight the Nazis because Ireland wanted to be neutral.”

“She’s still connected,” the general said. “Or was during the 456 situation.”

“Do I need to talk to Liam?”

“No.”

Another memory surfaced as he watched the general walk away. Estelle questioned Niamh’s intentions because she asked to many questions. The next dream-sharing had to involve Estelle before she died. Which would be even more painful, but he had to remember if Niamh was still interested in Estelle after so many years.


	25. Chapter 25

** Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland **

** Thursday, December 17, 2020 **

Nessa Dove called a team meeting in Trefor’s office. She’d had enough of the stupidity. Whatever Liam’s grandmother had in mind, it wasn’t his safety. Trefor couldn’t figure out he needed to sit down and talk. He was to busy. If the conflict was resolved, they’d get a lot more accomplished. 

“Enough.” The door closed behind her. 

“I have work to do.”

Nessa crossed the office, nudged Trefor’s office chair back and sat on his lap. “This is stupid.” When Trefor shifted, she reached back and placed a finger to his lips. “No. We have three teenagers living in this facility. Two of them are afraid of what they’re capable of. One is being bullied in school and doesn’t want to admit he has a girlfriend out of concern for her safety. If you were paying attention, you’d know Malcolm had to teleport out a janitor’s closet where his so-called friends locked him.” She gave it a moment. “While they have actual personal struggles, the two are acting like idiots. I had hoped this was some kind of sexual frustration. That’s a quick fix.”

Trefor nipped her finger.

“Liam, I’ve been in Torchwood Three and spent time with Jack. He’s not psycho. Ianto is a sweetheart.”

“And mum?” Trefor asked, amused.

“Intimidating.” 

“Captain Harkness was alive during WWII.”

“Yeah.” From his energy, Nessa knew he was a lot older than that. “And you met him after the abduction attempt and Jeannette threw fireballs and blew up a car. What did you think of him?”

Liam kept his eyes on his hands in his lap. “He was nice.”

Nessa nodded. “Is this done? Can I go help set up our tree?”

Liam hesitated.

Nessa slid off Trefor’s lap and moved around the desk to Liam. “Look at me.” She nudged his knee with hers. When he looked up, she held out her hand. He accepted it. She softened her tone. “Has Trefor done anything to suggest he’d hurt you?”

“No.”

“Stand up.” She led Liam around the desk. “Up.” She nudged Trefor in the foot. Trefor eyed her a moment and then stood. “Hug.” It was ridiculously awkward, but she hoped it was progress. 

Trefor reached tentatively for Liam’s face. Liam leaned into the caress, relaxing against her. Nessa released Liam’s hand and ran her finger tips up Trefor’s arm. Trefor leaned in and kissed her. 

 

General Trefor Williams could only be impressed by Nessa’s approach. Whether she used her ability or not, he wasn’t sure. After she left, her unique conflict resolution resulted in a couple hours in bed. When he and Liam returned to the office, they were relaxed and the conflict was gone. Although he doubted that solved the problem.

Liam sat cross-legged on one side of his desk. Trefor held a tablet with one hand and rested his other on Liam’s knee. 

Having someone to wade through the large amount of information on Montpellier France helped. Malcolm originally found two cases. Both involved deaths attributed to an unknown hallucinogen that led to fatal heart attacks. Both victims were cremated for uncertain reasons. Internet searches of the area uncovered a few reports of odd drugs, urban legends, a few conspiracy theories, but nothing obvious.

He’d reviewed current businesses as best as he could and tried to track previous businesses. There were a few public scandals, but nothing stood out. The software Ianto suggested Kailen design for tracking commercial energy usage would have been very helpful, but the kid hadn’t had time to develop it.

That left waiting through police reports. He found one death in Grands Causses Natural Regional Park which was north of Montpellier. He quickly read the information. The cases were two years apart. Witnesses in the park said the deceased had gashes from an unknown animal attack. The body in that case was lost in a car accident that resulted in a fire.

“You said there was a possible cover-up involving hallucinations and weird causes of death?” Liam asked.

“Yeah.” The general looked up.

“Eight years ago, a young couple was found in an abandoned house after an anonymous call to emergency services. Cause of death is listed as indeterminate. Interpol received a tip that they had died as a result of industrial exposure. Several accusations were made. It’s listed as suspicious because the bodies were accidentally sent to be cremated before they could be autopsied.”

“Any suspects?”

“No.” Liam said. “But they didn’t know what they were looking for. The Gordon-Glen cases involve advanced genetics?”

“Yeah.”

“Universities would have records on student accomplishments and would showcase their success stories. How many people have an interest in human genetic modification?”

“They probably won’t admit it.” The general wondered how to track them.

“Can we track their equipment? Between Malcolm and his friend in Canada, they could make a list.”

The general nodded. “They’d need a biolab.”

Ianto used a similar approach to track CN production. It would work, if they knew where to look. Everything they had on Gordon-Glen suggested they packed up their Liverpool office after an incident there. While they were storing WMD in Cardiff, there was nothing directly linking the corporation to Noble Industries. He needed to access Global. Going in person might be the best idea. He should have access to run his own searches without involving an eleven year-old.

“This is insane.” Liam shifted away and uncrossed his legs. 

The general patted his leg. “After awhile, it’ll just be another day.”

“No.” Liam closed his eyes.

“Are you okay?” The general knew how Nessa affected him but not others.

“I don’t think Nessa thought this through.”

“Why?”

“We work together. Even without the family conflict, this is not going to end well.”

The general stood. “What do think will happen?”

Liam looked at him. “You and Nessa have an actual relationship. It’s not just sex.”

The general brushed the side of his hand over Liam’s cheek. “The only promises I can make is I won’t lie and I won’t pressure you.” 

“Is this how your father runs his office?”

“No.” Trefor set his hand over his face. 

“What?”

The general groaned. “My father is currently believed to be sexually involved with everyone he works with. Not just in the office. A detective and the medical examiner let people believe that so they can meet with him without questions.”

“How does a rumor like that get started?”

The general could only guess it was an attempt to insult Jack, if his father didn’t start it on purpose.

 

Liam Doughtery needed time to think. He checked his messages, listening again to the latest message. Once an offer from his father to reconnect over the holidays would have been the best present imaginable. He watched a lot of movies growing up about families realizing the mistakes they made. Working for Torchwood made him paranoid. But it also made him think about circumstances. His grandmother was the only person who could have gotten his father to make that call. Before Torchwood he wouldn’t have thought twice. He wouldn’t have questioned the timing or his grandmother’s intentions. Listening to his father’s words, Liam couldn’t help but question it. 

The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if his grandmother set him up to begin with. He met Nessa because of his grandmother. She asked him to run errands. As a result, he was in the right time and place to meet Nessa. It could be paranoia and stress. But he doubted it. 

Everyone looked at him and saw a flighty young man who didn’t want to work with the family business. Even Trefor hadn’t found his family money or investments at first because he hadn’t thought to look. Liam wanted to paint and party. He worked to make it possible. Even knowing about the business degree didn’t change opinions or judgments. 

When he met Nessa, she was a kindred soul. Her family was worthless. She viewed partying and sex much like he did. The common ground and that she accepted people for who they were drew him to her. It wouldn’t take much for his grandmother or anyone else who knew him to realize how much he needed someone like Nessa in his life. 

From there his attraction to Trefor was inevitable. A gorgeous, unapologetic man who like Nessa believed in individuality and wouldn’t judge. Even when concerned about the conflict between his grandmother and Torchwood, he’d been unable to resist. The change from sharing a bed with Nessa to just them had a profound affect on his emotions. 

Trefor’s acceptance, and Nessa’s ability, resolved some of his uneasiness about Torchwood. If it was more than paranoia, it had been staged with incomplete information. Torchwood didn’t question his sexuality or his competence. Nessa trusted him with her sister. Trefor gave him a real job. 

The question was how to figure out if it was more than paranoia. Trefor commented that whoever his grandmother worked for could be a threat. He had to assume they were.


	26. Chapter 26

** Saint David’s Mall; Cardiff, Wales **

** Friday, December 18, 2020 **

When John Hart he agreed to research Teri Pierce, he expected a simple case. The Torchwood case from high school meant they already had background on her. It should have been easy. Except there was nothing to find. The woman’s background was perfect. Either she was a saint or it was a cover. While he couldn’t connect Pierce to the black market, he did connect the Trahaym Bach Historical Society. He was working on a cover of his own to catch her in the act. The annoyance was enough to hand over to the police. That would end the mundane crime, but it wouldn’t resolve the Torchwood case. 

A painting in a mall display caught his attention, distracting him from Pierce. The galloping mustangs were impressive. It was something he might have purchased for his Anwen in the 2040s. The one thing all three versions he’d met had in common. They loved horses. While it would have been an appropriate present for the woman he loved, it didn’t work for the eleven year-old version.

“You like art?” Robert asked, announcing himself as he approached. The English translator he used was sounding better.

“I knew someone who liked horses.”

“I’m sorry.”

John turned and started walking. “It’s been years.” Although he could still remember her vividly.

Robert waited a few minutes. “What did you need?”

John stopped by a men’s clothing store. “Do you recognize this technology?” He handed Robert a tablet.

“Where is this from?” Robert scrolled through the information.

“A local warehouse.”

Robert handed it back. “Oldaria in my world was a friend of dad’s and Jack’s.” He hesitated. “Have you heard of the Zindarri?”

“No.” 

“They’re inter-dimensional. One of the ancient races.”

John didn’t like the sound of that. “Any idea why she’s taking out abusers and rescuing kids?”

“Possibly. Zindarri are female-dominant.” He motioned at the tablet. “Where’s her ship?”

“I don’t know.”

Robert shook his head. “The only reason I can think she fortified a warehouse like this is she doesn’t have her ship. No one could steal it.”

“Another Zindarri?”

Robert smiled. “No. Oldaria is royalty. The youngest sister of the Divinity. Or the head of the Zindarri Imperium.”

“How did she know Jack?”

“Dad said Oldaria was a cliche that crossed cultures. A bored rich girl running around the universe with two men her family wouldn’t approve of.” 

“How did she get here?” An alien forced to adapt to an unfamiliar planet could be problematic and unpredictable. The fortress probably said she was scared and couldn’t blend.

Robert took a moment. “If she’s here without a ship, and she’s the Oldaria I met, she built something to remote-access Jack’s vortex manipulator. When she got here, she realized he wasn’t the Jack she knew.” 

John wondered for years how Torchwood was able to abduct him. The explanation involved scanning Jack’s wrist-strap for information. Except that didn’t explain where they got the technology capable to do it. “Remote-access? Could that be used to grabbed someone wearing a wrist-strap?”

“Yeah. Why?” Robert sounded uneasy.

“My friend who liked horses, she had technology capable of tracking a wrist-strap and grabbing the person wearing it.”

Robert stared at him a moment. “Your friend abducted you?”

“Yeah.” John smiled. “More than once. It was complicated.”

“Whatever version of you and Jack are crazy as hell.”

 

** Hughes Flats **

Jack Harkness watched the sunset over Cardiff from the roof. The chaos was nothing new. A sick pregnant woman that no one wanted to discuss was different. Ianto planning an office Christmas party with Dawn, Gwen and Anwen in the same room guaranteed a bizarre holiday. 

The door opened and John stepped onto the roof. One more strange aspect to both Torchwood and the holidays. Since returning with Kylia, he’d joined the team. Jack couldn’t help but wonder if that was the Kearas intent. After John was fused with Nanogenes, drinking and drugs were no longer an option. One more example of the long game the Kearas were playing.

“Hiding?” John asked.

“Maybe.”

John crossed the roof. “Robert recognized the technology.” He explained.

“Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know. Robert’s not telling me everything. Under the circumstances, he’s not going to.”

Jack expected as much. “Any ideas what he’s hiding?”

“The conflict with the Time Agency.” John paused. “You know what we were like. If we didn’t get separated when you left. If something happened.”

“Just say it.”

“Robert approached me, Jack. If I was the unstable one, he would have approached you. I got the impression after watching his father die, Robert went after the Time Agency. What would you have done? If the Time Agency killed someone you cared about in front of his son? He said a friend placed him in that hibernation chamber. Which was located under an island where you detonated a device to fix breaches between universes.”

Jack could follow the logic and understand why John hesitated. There was a lot of questions they couldn’t answer. The big one involved the alien. If detonating the device brought her and Robert, that meant the girls started disappearing before the alien arrived. While they should have noticed, Rhys was missing and they were distracted. They had been targeting research projects recruiting low-risk victims making high-risk victims more appealing. Or it was another cult.

“I need to approach the warehouse. We need to know what’s going on.” They also needed more information on the street situation. The information from the shelters and the nus that helped working girls wasn’t enough. “Can you get more information out of your contact about missing girls?”

John hedged. “Probably not.”

 

Dmitri Petrescu stood with his arms crossed, leaning back on his kitchen table. While he didn’t completely understand the new time period, he could appreciate some change. The shelter Telyn stayed at briefly was awful, but the existence of those places gave him hope. When he was young, he dreamed of helping people. He hated seeing the sick and the hopeless. 

“I need to know she’s all right.”

Jack nodded. “I know.” 

“I should go with you.”

“It would be better if you don’t.”

Dmitri knew Jack was nearly impossible to kill. It made sense that Jack go alone. If something went wrong, he’d regenerate. That didn’t make Dmitri feel any better. “I’ll send the message.”

 

** (warehouse near Williams Haulage) **

Jack Harkness parked the Torchwood van in the car park and handed John the keys. The situation didn’t require a discussion. The converted warehouse had incredible technology. If the situation went wrong, there wasn’t that could be done. While Jack would survive, Torchwood had no way to dislodge the alien. 

He walked through the quiet commercial district. Few people were working in the area on a Sunday night. He saw one car during the walk and no pedestrians. The warehouse looked like the rest in the area in the dim light. He flipped open his wrist-strap and started a continuing scan. Nothing noticeable changed from the readings he’d already seen from John.

Unsure what to do, he waited. From the level of technology, the alien had to know he was there. All he could do was wait. After a few minutes, an energy shift suggested a door opened. A tall woman stepped into view. She looked human, but the technology she was wearing to handle the environment said she wasn’t. 

“Good evening.”

She stopped several feet from him. 

“I’m Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood.”

“Oldaria.” Her voice echoed a bit. “Why you here?”

“I have questions.”

“Yes.”

Jack wondered if they had a translation problem. “Why are you on Earth?”

“Universe shifted.”

“Why do you have humans in the warehouse?”

“Protect them.” She smiled. “You not try charm. Intimidated.”

Jack smiled. “Disappointed?”

Oldaria laughed. “You domesticated.”

“Never.” He needed to find a better translation option. “Can I check on the humans?”

“Dmitri-friend worried. Telyn safe.”

“Can I talk to the humans?”

“Yes.”


	27. Chapter 27

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

** Sunday, December 21, 2020 **

Ianto Jones sat at the small table in what had been Luc’s flat on the second floor. If group decorating was any indication, Christmas was guaranteed to be insane. Ken talked John into decorating the hallways with him. That went surprisingly well. When they returned, they even included Dawn with adding more to the tree. 

Trefor walked over while he was reviewing CCTV footage. “Up.”

Ianto settled Trefor on his lap. With no Legos or blocks, Ianto wasn’t sure how to entertain Trefor. “You want to look at cars?”

“What are you looking for?” 

Ianto smiled. “I don’t know.”

Anwen’s laughter filled the room. It felt good. Her acceptance of Dawn probably had something to do with John. Ianto wished the happiness would last. 

The footage was around Andy Davidson’s house more than a week earlier. Andy’s girlfriend Connie sent it over hoping they would find someone the police hadn’t. He wasn’t hopeful. The area traffic was residents and their friends and family. The cars had all been identified.

Trefor motioned at the screen. “I like that one.”

The rebuilt muscle car belonged to a retired constable two blocks from Andy’s. Which made Ianto think of another retiree on that block. He’d seen the woman’s car three times that morning. Except he shouldn’t have. He grabbed a tablet and scrolled through the names of people in the area on vacation or in the hospital.

“John.”

The laptop rose from the desk three inches. “Anwen.” Ianto grabbed his computer.

“Not me.” She laughed.

John walked over. “You found something?” He sounded amused.

“Lilybet Peairs.” Ianto held the tablet up. “Find out if anyone was driving her car while she was in the hospital.”

“Which case?”

“Powell Beddoe. The Andy Davidson situation. You showed up to the meeting wearing Pooh pajamas.”

Anwen laughed. “Tigger would be better.”

“Wolverine is better,” Trefor countered. “I asked Santa for Wolverine pajamas.”

 

** Torchwood Three **

Gwen Cooper sat in the conference room eating pizza and reading the information the general sent on Montpellier France. It fit what they know of Gordon-Glen. The suggested approach to tracking the company had potential, if they knew where to look. While geneticists might not advertise human experimentation, there weren’t a lot studying genetic modifications of animals publicly either. They were to careful for researching in a country where it was illegal. More likely, they were set-up in a country with few human rights or oversight.

The door opened and Jack stepped in. From his expression, she figured he’d been discussing Torchwood with London again. They needed the Institute rebuilt. She had no idea how they would handle a larger facility. If they could explain the general, he could handle it. But to many questions would be asked.

“John called.” Jack sat across from her. “Ianto found something.” He explained. “Did Andy mention Connie had a case involving Powell Beddoe?”

“No.”

“Beddoe was a suspect in a drugs and a prostitution case. Connie had enough evidence on Beddoe to charge him until the evidence disappeared. Jodi Hsiung was suspected of being involved.”

“Cowley mentioned Jodi’s death at Noble Industries.” 

Jack nodded. “DCI Sawyer was with a very young looking prostitute when he died. Dr. Floyd confirmed the dreamfish drug. The Beddoe case involved adult sex workers passed off as underage sex workers.”

“Is Beddoe connected to Sawyer’s murder?”

“Probably.”

“Cowley investigated the impound cars at Noble Industries. Which arguable led to Sawyer’s murdered. How does that lead to Beddoe being burned alive in Andy’s backyard?”

“Two years ago, Connie was seriously injured and left for dead. Drug dealers got information from somewhere and attacked two detectives on the task force. What wasn’t determined, or publicized, was how Connie survived. Rumors were an organized crime boss found her and made sure she got to the A&E. Although Sal has seen to injured police officers before, she swore she had nothing to do with it.”

“Okay.” Gwen wondered where Jack was going.

“The drug dealers were found stabbed to death. From the medical examiner’s report, the overkill was extreme. The investigation led nowhere.”

“You think Connie’s involved?” Gwen couldn’t picture the woman stabbing or burning anyone. 

“No. Connie has a stalker.”

Gwen remembered Andy mentioning that. It was a strange case. There was evidence that person, probably a man, had been stalking her off and on for years. What made it bizarre was that the person wasn’t escalating or showing any interest in approaching her. “She has a stalker that leaves her evidence and tips as a show of affection.”

Jack nodded. “I spoke to Andy. Him and Connie have been having problems for months. There was a rumor circulating that Andy had been unfaithful.”

Gwen didn’t believe that. “Say Connie has a stalker that kills or terrorizes people who harm her. Burning someone alive in the backyard and reporting it was Andy is out there. Why did the stalker chose Beddoe?”

“Powell Beddoe filed complaints about Connie. He wanted her fired. Beddoe has family connections in London.”

“Shit.” Gwen rubbed her face. “What about that psycho that was just released on a technicality?”

“He was found in pieces in the judge’s garage.”

“We need to get Andy somewhere safe, Jack.”

“PD’s handling that.”

“That’s not our case, right? We have Gordon-Glen, the alien by Rhys’ business, John’s son, and something happening in a base in Alaska.”

“The alien started collecting girls because they were disappearing.”

 

** Torchwood Four; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada **

Eryn Sylla had an insane idea. Luc had trouble with possibilities that were difficult or impossible to evaluate. He needed evidence and the scientific method. Kailen, despite their upbringing, couldn’t handle horrifying concepts. He didn’t like horror movies. That left Aman. She entered the break room while he was grabbing energy drinks from the refrigerator. The idea was out there. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to bounce an idea off someone.”

Aman set the cans on the table. “Tell me.”

Eryn sat across from him, trying to figure out how to explain. “I think Cardiff and possibly London are being used as test areas. Moss-Probert, Cattrel, Noble, Gordon-Glen. After Morgans took out the MP facility and exposed MP, the others should have packed up. Beaupre’s death had no obvious result. The teenagers of Cardiff start experimenting with a drug thinking it will give them special powers. Why? How did Eddie Cattrel get access to the drug to enhance Rift abilities? How did any of them know about Malcolm Dove?” She paused. “They are stupid, arrogant or testing Captain Harkness.”

“Jack and the general concluded the bioweapon was a trap for emergency responders. Kailen and Luc confirmed the containers had the bioweapon after the destruction.”

Eryn shook her head. “Not enough for each of their containers to be full.”

“If you’re right, someone is connected to all the corporations,” Aman said.

“How do we find them?”


	28. Chapter 28

** Saint David’s Mall; Cardiff, Wales **

** Tuesday, December 22, 2020 **

Robert Crosland wandered the mall near the store where Ken worked. Interacting with his father had always been a complicated experience. The new version made it stranger. John was an obsessive, morally-challenged hedonist. He could see the same traits in this John, but something had changed. Robert’s mother explained early on that his father needed a purpose, and when John found it, he’d settle down. That never sounded realistic. Robert couldn’t help wondering what had that profound of an effect. Ken meant something to his father, but wasn’t responsible for the change.

“Merry Christmas.” The woman smiled at him. Under different circumstances, she would have appealed to him. 

“Merry Christmas.”

What stayed with him as the woman walked away was the man standing a few feet behind her. He looked familiar. From his posture and wariness, doubted he was a holiday shopper. The encounter made Robert wary. Paranoia flared. He and Oldaria might not be the only ones from their universe. If it was someone tracking him, John or Jack, they could be at the mall for the same reason Robert was. They knew about Ken.

Unsure what to do, Robert headed for the Disney store. Acting was one of his father’s talents. Anyone seeing him could tell he was worried. Which could escalate whatever the situation was. His father had enemies throughout the universe. Any universe. There were to many possibilities to reasonably guess. 

It looked normal enough. Several mothers, and two possible fathers, were circulating the store with twice as many kids. Ken glanced at him. John opted not to introduce them, but Ken had seen him. Robert realized as he stood looking at a ridiculous display that he had no idea what he’d say. He checked his mobile, the primitive device at least had a clock. John was expected in ten minutes.

Ken stepped away from a group near a display. “Who are you?” He asked quietly.

“Robert. I’m a friend of John’s.”

“You’re scaring the customers.”

Robert had no idea what to say. “I think there’s a problem.”

“Try to look like you’re shopping.” Ken’s exasperation would have been amusing under other circumstances. 

With no idea what to say, Robert didn’t want to contact John. His father needed to know he was walking into something. He sent John a quick text message. Calling would require a conversation he shouldn’t have in an open area. The response was comforting at least. John was in the car park.

A moment later, he realized his mistake. The man he’d seen earlier entered the store, and was eying Ken. Whoever the man was, he’d waited until John arrived to approach. Then the man withdrew a weapon. It didn’t explain what the man’s intentions, but it said they were bad. 

Robert avoided using technology openly. He carried what fit in his pockets which wasn’t much. The stun device he’d modified from one of his father’s was half the size of his palm and would temporarily fuse to his skin. It might not work, if the man wasn’t humanoid.

As casually as he could, Robert moved. It occurred to him made an inaccurate assumption. The man wasn’t there to grab Ken. Waiting for John to arrive suggested something other than an abduction. Robert struck the man with a stun blast as he took aim at Ken. The man hit the floor with a thud.

“Would everyone please return to the mall,” Ken said uneasily to the customers. “We need to clear the store for security.”

The second man was less obvious. Robert barely knocked Ken out of the way of an energy blast. It took a hole in the store’s back wall. The customers ran. Robert dragged Ken behind the counter. The stun weapon he was carrying was nothing compared to what the second man was carrying. 

Robert removed the translator from his ear. “Who are you?” He demanded in one of the various questionable languages he knew. 

“This doesn’t concern you,” the second man replied in the same language. The words didn’t say as much as his accent. That area was known for organized crime. 

“I disagree.”

Another blast took out an edge of the desk. From the smell, the weapon was modified incorrectly. An adapter had been used for the atmosphere, but it was the wrong type. Robert listened to the man’s movements, raised his hand above the counter and fired blindly. He needed to hit the man’s general area. When the stun energy hit the static charge around the weapon, it exploded.

Robert returned the translator to his ear. “Stay here.”

Ken nodded. 

John entered the store as Robert moved around the counter to check the dead. As he expected, the shooter wasn’t humanoid. He couldn’t immediately identify the alien species, but the toxic goo suggested an alien from a very different type of planet.

“Ken?” John checked the unconscious man for a pulse.

“Here.” Ken sounded scared.

“Stay there.” John reached for his mobile with his offhand. “Robert, who was the target?”

 

** The Arctic Observatory; Prince of Wales Island, Nunavut, Canada **

Villetta Thirion laughed happily viewing her computer screen. She found it. The ship landed in an unused field north of Cardiff. It was her first spaceship. The Kearas promised, and they’d kept their promises so far, but the idea of an actual ship was hard to believe. The readings were insane. It would take years to review and reverse engineer it. But she could and would.

“Sending coordinates now.” Ettie couldn’t wait. The kid-in-a-candy-store feeling was ridiculous, but justified.

“Incident at Saint David’s mall,” Felda reported from the Falklands. “Energy weapons were used in a Disney store. No injuries or explanation.”

“Revenge of the Sith. That’s what they get for ruining Star Wars.”

Felda groaned. 

“So I’m a sci fi nerd.” Ettie laughed. “When do I get my spaceship?”

Other Keara appeared from nowhere. “Patience, young Padwan.” 

“Seriously?” Felda was exasperated. 

“We’re trying to save the world,” Other Keara said quietly. “If we can’t find happiness, what are we trying to save?”

“My happiness,” Felda said, “Would be a new super computer. One of Angelo Calassanto’s legacy companies has a new model.”

 

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

John Hart insisted on taking Ken home. They’d taken off their shoes and laid on top of the comforter on John’s bed. He held a tablet and review the latest Torchwood details with one hand and had the other one on Ken’s arm. Ken curled up against him with his head on John’s shoulder.

“Who were the men?” Ken hugged him.

“I don’t know.” The question was where they came from. They had to have a concealed ship. Without the satellite network Torchwood would have at some point in the future, they had no way of tracking most of the planet. They were at the mercy of outside networks that required permission to use.

“The man who helped me?”

“Robert.” One more thing John didn’t know how to explain. “He’s my son.”

Ken looked up at him. “You said you didn’t have children.”

Technically, he didn’t. Robert was his son from a different universe. A concept he was struggling with. “I found out about him recently.”

“His mother?”

“She died.” At least that was what Robert told him.

“The woman whose ring you wore?” 

“No.” That tore at him. One of the many things he lost because of future Torchwood’s time manipulation.

A flashing icon appeared on the screen. John tapped it. The notification came from the Arctic Observatory. Alien ship had been captured and relocated. He checked for more information. The summary told him something he already knew. The Keara he’d been involved with in the future was still alive. She’d taken the ship and written the report. He suspected the small bits of information she was passing him was her way of saying she was still alive.

Ken shifted against him. “I can’t go back to work.”

John kissed the top of Ken’s head. “You wanted to help with the baby.”

“I liked that job.”

John didn’t know what to say. Torchwood took over lives. It consumed everyone it touched. He shouldn’t have gotten Ken involved. Now that he was involved, there wasn’t much of a way out. He could relocate near another Torchwood office and hope for a normal life. John hadn’t thought about long term consequences when he met Ken that night in the club. What they had wasn’t love. Although it was the healthiest relationship John had ever had.


	29. Chapter 29

** Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland **

Nessa Dove entered Trefor’s suite and hoped she wasn’t interrupting. He programmed the computer for her. Liam probably wouldn’t appreciate an intrusion. The one complication with resolving the conflict with sex. Liam would likely want more from the arrangement than Trefor could give him. Another problem for another day.

They looked relaxed. Trefor looked like a sexy ad with a sheet covering him from the waist down. Liam slept face down next to him. He was definitely looking more relaxed. He’d been having trouble sleeping for days and wouldn’t tell her why. She suspected it was a family problem.

She sat on the edge of Trefor’s bed and ran her finger tips over his chest. “You could have joined us for the Yule feast.”

“It was a family event.” Trefor reached for her.

Everyone at Four was part of the family. She knew it was pointless to argue with him. 

Trefor smiled. “Join me in the tub. We can relax.”

Nessa leaned over Trefor and ran her hand over Liam’s back. 

“Nessa?” He asked quietly.

“Mind if I steal Trefor?”

Liam propped himself up and reached for Trefor. “Do I have to leave?”

“No.” Trefor rolled over and lightly kissed Liam’s temple. “Do you want to join us?”

Liam tilted his head and kissed Trefor. “I need sleep. I haven’t slept much in days.”

“Is everything okay?” Nessa asked.

“I don’t know.”

Admitting that much was progress. Nessa mused Liam’s hair. “Sweet dreams.”

 

General Trefor Williams settled into the tub. He wondered if he needed to renovate again, he’d chosen the tub for him and Nessa. There were a lot of things he had to figure out. Liam’s question about leaving said they needed to talk. The general wasn’t sure what to tell him.

Nessa stepped into the tub and slowly lowered herself into the water. She stretched out half on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I like the new bathroom.” 

“Computer, play-list 1.” Instrumental music filled the room.

Nessa laughed softly. “Nice.” 

Trefor ran a hand over her hair. “We needed a place to relax.”

“What happened to the garden?”

“We’d scare the kids.” Trefor laughed.

“Jeannette asked where Liam was at dinner. Keara started laughing. Malcolm turned bright red.”

Trefor could picture it. “Is Jeannette okay?”

“Yeah. Liam’s safe because he’s not interested in her.”

The situation was crazy. There were so many things that could go wrong having personal relationships with co-workers. The family connection made it work, but would be problematic down the road.

The music stopped. “Incoming message.”

“Computer, play message.”

“Trefor, this is Keara. Which at this point probably requires more explanation. We were friends once. I didn’t intentionally fake my own death. Whether or not you’ll believe me is for another time. There was a situation in Cardiff earlier today. I’ve since captured an alien ship with impressive concealment technology. The aliens are after John and we don’t have a translator for their language. He knows I’m alive, but I don’t know how he’ll react to hearing from me. Could you be considerate? I need him to translate. I know you’ve always viewed John as a rabid dog, and couldn’t understand why your sister loved him. But he made her happy.”

“How many Kearas are there?” Nessa moved so they could get out of the tub. “The young one who stays here. The crazy one that screws with time.”

“At least three.” Trefor stood. “That one is from the original future.”

 

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

From his office desk, Ianto Jones reviewed the scan readings on the secured cell they’d previously reserved for the Talbots. It wasn’t a species in their database. The weapon technology was impressive. Repairing the mall damage was complicated because the weapon destroyed material rather than damage it.

Jack entered the office. “Anything?”

Ianto looked up from a tablet. “I have no idea what to feed him.” He wasn’t sure the atmosphere in the cell was correct. There was a possibility of respiratory issues.

“He’s not in the database?” Jack crossed the room.

“No.” Ianto held up his hands. “I recognize the language.”

Jack sat on the edge of the desk. “How?” 

“One of the languages Anwen picked up from being connected to John. Same swear words.” 

Jack nodded. “A port languages.”

“Where’s John? We need him to translate.”

“He took Ken home.”

Ianto sat back. “Kailen’s called about CCTV. Two aliens went after Ken and Robert. Why isn’t John here?”

“Ken didn’t handle Maryn Tew’s death. He was threatened, lost his job, and has a stressful roommate. Ken needs him more than we do right now.”

“John grew a conscience.” Ianto shook his head. 

“That surprised Robert.” Jack paused. “He let me scan his translator. Four will be able to replicate it.”

“Where’s the database?”

“His ship.”

Ianto took a moment. “His inaccessible ship?”

“One more puzzle.” Jack held out his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Christmas.  Is it to much to want one day?” Ianto exhaled. “Dawn’s sick. An alien attacked. Gordon-Glen.”

“Come here.” 

Ianto stood. Torchwood affected every part of their lives. Any plans could be disrupted on no notice.

Jack slid off the desk, and hugged him. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Are we inviting Robert?

 

** Torchwood Nova Scotia; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada **

Luc Sarkisian reviewed the Alaska information. The readings were similar to Atmore, but reminded him of the Cardiff Dock situation when Tiarni Atmore arrived. Some type of alchemy elevator had been used to retrieve Tiarni from a version of Atmore in the past. Details she provided suggested her experiences in Atmore led to Rhys’ group being able to survive there for two years. There was a lot they didn’t know. That he couldn’t understand.

If the same process was being used, it suggested more travelers from another time or universe would soon be arriving. The drone on-site was equipped to scan for people and deploy a modified ballistic shield around the base to protect them. The old science base was probably not built to be occupied during winter. It had no active power source. Temperatures that far north could be extremely cold in the winter time.

The ballistic shield could also be used to protect the newcomers from whoever was bringing them. From what he knew of Dmitri, Atmore, Tiarni and other Torchwood-related travelers, their arrival hadn’t endangered their lives. Northern Alaska in the winter would be life-threatening, if the people weren’t prepared. The location had to mean something. Either it involved past research or was advantageous. 

After the people were safe, the facility needed to be researched. Jack’s CIA contact would hopefully cooperate. Any facility, or area, that made it possible to breach the universe or time had the potential for catastrophic consequences. It sounded insane. As Eryn said repeatedly, “if it happened, we know it’s possible.” He needed to figure out how.


	30. Chapter 30

** The Light and The Way Church; Cardiff, Wales **

** Thursday, December 24, 2020 **

The unexpected call came in late. Dr. Floyd called apparently with DC Cowley’s blessing. They were trapped inside a quarantine. Once she identified the dreamfish drug, she had all the first responders stay in the building. From the injuries, it appeared the deceased attacked each other. Which wasn’t good for those trapped inside inside with the bodies. 

Luc and Eryn were already in Cardiff for Christmas. Eryn was with Ianto in the remote office. Luc went with John and Dmitri to the hub, in case his old lab was needed, and would coordinate with Kailen. John and Dmitri went for the van, hazmat equipment and a mini bot. 

As an insanely fanatical church with white nationalist ties, their enemy list would be incredible. The current theory was guess the drug exposure happened during a Christmas eve service. Aman and the general were coordinating an Internet search for any references to a pending attack.

They weren’t even sure how many were dead. Dr. Floyd reported three known survivors; all were children. Which suggested age was a factor for surviving. Maddox was the only known survivor previously. The general tasked Malcolm with a search for genetic research involving children.

Personal complications added to it. Anwen and Trefor were with Ianto and Eryn. Rhys was keeping an eye on Ken and Dawn. With Dawn’s baby due at any time, that arrangement had to be difficult for Gwen. He wasn’t sure of her mood.

They rode in silence for a few minutes. 

“Did you see the pile of presents the general brought for Anwen and Trefor? One of the boxes is half Trefor’s size.” 

“He’s buying presents for himself.” Jack laughed. 

“Yeah. The general specified that Trefor had to open a specific one last. Otherwise, he’d refuse to open the other presents.” Gwen shook her head. “He signed Santa on every one.”

“The general’s trying.”

“I know.” Gwen exhaled. “He brought presents for the baby to.”

“How you holding up?” 

“I don’t know. I have no right to judge Rhys. Two years. I barely held it together for three months.”

“Ianto suggested clerical work. Dawn could work with him or Dmitri.” Jack took a moment. “It’s not ideal, but with the mall situation, it would be safer. In a few months, when she’s feeling better, the baby can go to daycare at Davies with Trefor. Rhiannon won’t ask questions.”

Gwen sighed. “You mentioned getting Ken a job at Rhys’ business? That would work for Dawn, not Ken. Someone needs to ask if Rhiannon needs help. The daycare would make more sense for Ken.”

“Could you handle it?” Jack wasn’t sure Rhys could. Returning from Atmore was a difficult transition without facing Dawn every day.

“I’d have no right to complain. I work with you.”

Jack knew she had a point, but he couldn’t picture it working. “Have you discussed it with Rhys?”

“No. We haven’t managed a real conversation about Dawn.”

Jack needed to talk to Rhys. Certain things had to be worked out before the baby was born. Most of it involved paperwork. They needed to know whether or not Rhys’ name was going on the birth certificate and what the baby’s last name would be. Ianto had figured out how to fake a marriage, if Dawn would prefer widow to single mother.

Arriving on-scene was it’s own kind of stress. There were ambulances and morgue vehicles on stand-by. A fire department biohazard unit was parked in front of the church. Gwen went to coordinate with the uniforms waiting anxiously to find out the fate of their fellow constables that had been potentially exposed.

Jack did a quick wrist-strap scan before heading for a group of firefighters. He needed whatever details they had.

 

** Torchwood Nova Scotia; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada **

Kailen Sylla booted his systems. He couldn’t help but think it took a particularly sick group of people to attack a church nevertheless on Christmas Eve. He and Aman planned to open presents and watch movies for Christmas and he hoped they still would. Just the idea of kids watching their parents die in church.

“Are you okay?” Aman asked.

“No.”

Aman pulled a chair over next to him with a laptop. “You can do this. Deploy the drones. Scan the area. Land one on or near the church.”

“Yeah.” Kailen took a moment. “The bioweapon at Noble didn’t shock me. Killing people in church on Christmas Eve.” He shook his head.

Aman set a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

“Thanks.”

Having Aman close helped. He used Torchwood Three as a relay for quick information access. The drone initial drone information was promising. There was nothing in the immediate area. If the airborne version of the dreamfish drug had been released inside the church, it hadn’t escaped. From Noble Industries, they doubted the bioweapon could survive in the air for long. 

Kailen sent Luc a quick message through the computer. 

 

** The Light and The Way Church; Cardiff, Wales **

Jack Harkness entered the church wearing a full breather hazmat suit and manually controlling the mini bot. The first task was determining if there was an airborne contaminate. Unable to access his wrist-strap, he had to use a tablet and a stylus. Comparing internal to external readings showed nothing.

Dr. Floyd approached slowly with her hands in front of her. He couldn’t hear her. Reading her lips took a few tries. “One of the children needs to be sedated.”

Jack shook his head. He then held up one finger. A quick scan of Dr. Floyd showed age-related health problems but no contamination. He wrote “you’re clean” on the tablet.

“Walk through first.” 

He couldn’t blame her for being worried. There was a standing order to burn contaminated bodies. 

Twenty minutes later, he found nothing. That solved one safety issue but presented another. They had no idea how the congregation had been contaminated. Luc sent him a message about shutting down the water until they could test it. That wouldn’t explain the entire congregation until the affected killed the others.

He found the kitchen. They had a dinner before the service. Leftover punch and Jello tested positive. Either a break-in or an inside job. 

After evacuating the emergency responders, DC Cowley and Dr. Floyd, Jack had the unpleasant task of sedating the five surviving children for transport. Maddox wasn’t dangerous. They could only hope the church children weren’t either. But the one Dr. Floyd mentioned reminded Jack of Drystan from Moss-Probert.

Jack removed his helmet but not the suit. He’d need it to process the bodies.

“You’re taking the kids?” Cowley asked.

“Yeah. We’ll assess them. Once they’re stable, we’ll know more.”

“And the bodies?”

“They have to be cremated.”

Cowley nodded reluctantly. “I need photographs, fingerprints, and DNA, if possible.”

“Photographs are already being processed. Except the two that have extensive facial damage. Facial rec is being compared to church records and license plates. Fingerprints aren’t possible on a few bodies.” Processing twenty bodies in the middle of the night would be an experience. The congregation was thankfully small. “DNA is unlikely.” 

“Fuck.” Cowley took a moment to compose himself. 


	31. Chapter 31

** Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales **

** December 25, 2020 **

Jack Harkness stood, leaning on the kitchen counter. It was going to be a long day. Dmitri was at the hub with the kids. All three were sedated in quarantine. Aman and Kailen were working on photographs and CCTV footage. The general said Four celebrated Yule instead of Christmas and would do what they could from Dublin. They needed a lot more people and resources.

“John, is Ken up for cooking as planned?”

John stood on the opposite side of the kitchen entrance leaning on the wall. “Yeah. Him and Dawn are looking forward to it.”

“I can stay with them.” Eryn sat at the small table next to Ianto. “I was planning on cooking anyway.” She checked her watch. “I need to start the bread soon.”

“Luc, the tablets allow you to access the hub through my home office. It would be a good idea to get some sleep while you can.”

Luc stood behind Eryn with his hands lightly on her shoulders. “I will help Eryn and Ken, if they need it.”

Jack knew she wouldn’t like it, but they’d already agreed she would have the day off. “Gwen, please go home.”

Gwen sat at the table across from Eryn. “That was decided before the church.”

“It’s Christmas.” Anwen rested elbows on the table between Gwen and Eryn. “Dad spent hours on the decorations. Trefor’s looking forward to what Santa brought.”

Gwen took her daughter’s hand. “Okay. Let’s get your brother.” Gwen stopped near the bedroom door. “Global searches on Nanogene replacement options did have similarities. A retrovirus was designed to improve natural healing. It ended badly. Finding names will take time.”

Jack watched as the group thinned. Gwen carried Trefor out of the bedroom and Anwen followed. Eryn and Luc left hand-in-hand. That left him, Ianto and John to investigate. 

“We need a place to start.” Jack sipped coffee.

Ianto held up his hands. “What did the church get Gordon-Glen?” 

“No.” John shook his head. “Gordon-Glen wanted to target emergency responders with a WMD. The person who killed five people previously wants to expose Gordon-Glen, and is potentially mimicking how Cattrel Industries was found. Not many people cared for the church, but attacking any church on Christmas Eve is going to piss people off.”

Jack grimaced. “Disposable victims?”

“Yeah.” John reluctantly confirmed. “If we understand this killer, the mindset is not murder but public service.”

Ianto sat back. “Who is this guy?”

“Poison suggests a woman,” John countered. “The church was big on gender roles. Access to the food also suggests the killer’s a woman.”

“Man or woman, they have a connection to Gordon-Glen,” Ianto said. “Both Liverpool and Montpellier had facilities. If she’s a whistleblower, she’s a former employee with the ability to recreate the drug.”

“At least a chemist. Possibly a geneticist,” John said.

That gave them a place to start. They might need to wake Kailen. “We’ll start with a list of chemists and geneticists that worked in those cities. We check for current whereabouts. Anyone we can’t locate or is anywhere near Cardiff is a suspect. The general will help us from Dublin.”

“We need more than one approach, Jack. The general had an idea for finding scientists connected to Gordon-Glen, if he had a place to look,” John explained. “We look for people potentially connected to Cardiff. The general looks for Gordon-Glen. Any country that has minimal regulation on genetic research or bribing officials to ignore human experimentation is possible.”

 

Ianto Jones reviewed the image update from Nova Scotia. They had CCTV traffic footage near the church while the congregation was arriving for service. One of the cars was unexplained. It belonged to Trevonn Oliver, a repeat offender on parole. He’d missed his last appointment. Ianto checked Oliver’s file, and the disappearance was unexpected. No one had reported seeing him for more than a week. As a nonviolent offender, he wasn’t a priority. 

“I think we have another victim.” Ianto explained.

“Check for impounds,” Jack said. “They might not have logged it yet.”

John replied a few minutes later. “She burned it. No CCTV footage of the scene, but we have her walking away.” He held up the tablet. “Bad neighborhood for a woman to walk alone. A car is burning a block from there and she’s not worried.”

Ianto had seen her before. He started flipping through pictures. “Liverpool. Dr. Katrine Palfreyman.”

“Spell it,” Jack said. 

Ianto did.

“We have another problem. Not only is she a geneticist, she escaped from a psychiatric facility after being committed by the court for being criminally insane.”

“History of psychiatric problems?” John asked.

“No.”

“Any connection to Maddox’s father Cort Tray? Or the building where he died?” Ianto asked.

“Checking,” John said. “She was reportedly working at the building when she had a psychotic break. The company closed up weeks later. Which might be Gordon-Glen’s MO. She escaped from the hospital before Cort Tray’s accident.”

Jack grabbed his mobile. “If Kailen could find Ronald Beaupre, he can find Dr. Palfreyman.”

“Jack,” John said, “Dr. Palfreyman could be a survivor. You saw the kids. Maddox is probably the exception.”

“We don’t know what the drug does,” Ianto pointed out. “The deaths is Forest Farm suggest they attracted an entity like Maddox has. Except it killed them.”

“’A dragon will wake in the Underworld and give the child the power of the gods.’” John quoted the prophecy from Idrissa’s sisters. “The girls have perception issues. It could be a child and not connected to me.”

“Lewella and Morpheus are connected to what is considered the Underworld in Celtic mythology,” Jack said. “Ancients?”

“Lewella said my family is connected to her. Morpheus and his brothers chose specific sleepers. Morpheus can contact Gwen without a problem. Phantasos’ contact was an attack. Tremayne had no problem connecting with Phantasos. Dmitri communicates with Icelus.”

“I doubt it’s as simple as genetics,” Jack said. 

Ianto thought of an article he’d read months earlier. “People who have organ transplants sometimes report unusual personality changes or habits as a result. It’s dismissed by science, in general. But if there is some,” Ianto shook his head, “Essence of the person transferred with an organ, than changing a person’s organs could affect that essence.”

“That could explain the Forest Farm deaths.” Jack said tentatively. “The retrovirus changed their essence and attracted something that realized they were imposter's and killed them.” He took a moment. “Why is Maddox still alive?”

Ianto shrugged. “The entity likes him?”

“Luc will have a heart attack,” John commented.

“Malcolm would be a better person to ask.” From Jack’s expression, he realized something. “We assumed it’s a retrovirus created by Gordon-Glen. Nanogenes are a Chula invention. If it’s alien technology or based off alien technology…”

“It could be attracting inter-dimensional aliens,” John injected. “Did Oldaria explain how she got here?”

“No.”

 

Gwen Cooper headed to the second floor with her family. Neither her nor Rhys got any more sleep, but they managed a family Christmas. Watching Anwen chase Trefor around the room trying to stick bows to him felt normal. They needed the laughter. 

Eryn was in the kitchen wearing a green dress, apron, elf hat and striped tights. Luc had a Santa hat and green and red Christmas tie. Ken wore an ugly Christmas sweater and a Santa hat. Dawn rested on the sofa under a blanket.

“Ianto will be down in a few minutes, Mrs. Williams.” Eryn smiled. “Captain Harkness and Captain Hart are working with my brother and Aman.”

“Bad guy?” Trefor climbed onto a chair at the kitchen table.

“One of Scrouge’s minions.” Eryn said to Trefor.

“Uncle Jack will get him.”

“Luc,” Rhys said, “Will you help with the tables.”

“Yeah.”

Gwen moved into the kitchen. “How are you holding up?”

“Good.” Eryn lowered her voice. “Dawn needs to go the hub. She’s nearing labor. Or a problem. Luc and Ken half-carried her from the table to the sofa.”

“Contractions?” Gwen asked.

“Not that she mentioned.”

Gwen sighed. “Can you help Ianto with the kids and Ken?”

“Yeah.”

 

Dr. Palfreyman was using Trevonn Oliver’s flat. The small, dirty third floor unit had an open window to the fire escape. John Hart used his wrist-strap to do a remote medical scan and didn’t like the results. She had definitely been exposed to the dreamfish drug. Unlike Maddox, Palfreyman was no longer human. She didn’t have an entity, active retrovirus or any indication of alien technology.

“She knows we’re here.” Jack crouched next to him. They were using a flat directly across the alley from Oliver’s. The ex con demanded an explanation for an interruption on Christmas. Attacking a church with a bioweapon wasn’t something the incompetent thief found acceptable.

John summarized the medical information. 

“Will your stun pellets work?”

“Why wouldn’t they? They’re configured for biomechs.” 

“I met an alien unaffected by them,” Jack explained.

John shook his head. “I’ve never had a problem.” 

He removed a handful from his pocket. Using his telekinetic Rift ability, the pellets lifted off his hand, flew across the alley and in the open window. John peered around the edge of the window to view the target. She didn’t attempt to escape. One of the pellets made contact and she crumpled to the ground.

 

Ianto Jones passed out presents. The event he’d spent so much time planning slipped away. With Ken crying, even Trefor knew something was wrong. Eryn sat on the floor with the kids and made a show of throwing around wrapping paper. 

The general’s presents were impressive. Both Anwen and Trefor were happily opening them. For Anwen, he bought her books, horse figurines, movies and two nearly life-sized posters of Prince Nuada from Hellboy and Legloas from Lord of the Rings. Anwen laughed as she unrolled them. Trefor’s gifts were Legos, model airplanes, Backgammon, video instructions for learning chess, X-Men figurines, a few science fiction movies and one that left them all staring. The general insisted Trefor open it last.

“The Millennium Falcoln,” Luc said in awe. 

The replica was larger than a dinner plate. Trefor stared wide-eyed at the box until Anwen helped him open it. 

“Spaceship.”

“Have you seen Star Wars?” Luc asked.

Trefor shook his head. “I’m going to fly a spaceship someday.”

Anwen carried over a small box as Luc and Eryn were discussing Star Wars and spaceships with Trefor. “It’s not as cool as Han Solo’s ship.”

Ianto carefully unwrapped it. She bought him coffee mugs. “I make coffee,” Ianto read allowed. “I drink coffee.” 

“Merry Christmas.” Anwen gave him a hug.

“Thank you.” 


	32. Chapter 32

** Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales **

** Sunday, December 27, 2020 **

With a sick pregnant woman and three kids in quarantine, Dmitri Petrescu moved into the hub. John and Ken brought a few personal items when they came to visit Dawn. Dmitri stored them in the former alchemy lab. Given Dawn’s condition, he slept in the infirmary. 

When the first alarm sounded, it didn’t surprise him. A part of him hoped for a miracle. After Dawn arrived on Christmas, he’d done more scans. Rhys suspected Atmore energy. If that had been the case, the problem should have resolved itself. Even if the energy affected the baby and Dawn indirectly, Dmitri would have expected different results. 

He slid off the cot and crossed the room. The information was unfortunately what he expected. There wasn’t a lot of time. Dmitri tapped his ear com and removed his bag of equipment from the cabinet next to the Nanogene station. He didn’t know how the fancy equipment worked and doubted anyone else did either. They needed a more experienced Torchwood doctor.

“Who’s in the hub.” Dmitri set the bag on the counter. 

“Me,” John said. “Jack went home.”

Dmitri discussed the situation with Jack previously. They agreed not to mention it until they had to. “Come to the infirmary. I need to delivery Dawn’s baby.”

“I’ll call Rhys.”

“No, John. I need extra hands.” Dmitri checked the scan read-out again. “Hurry. The baby doesn’t have much time.”

“What?”

“Hurry. I’ll send Jack a message. Don’t call anyone.”

Dmitri quickly typed Jack a text message.

When John rushed through the door, Dmitri was setting out his equipment. “Dawn was exposed to the dreamfish drug. I wasn’t sure until Christmas. It must work differently in a pregnant woman. Or it was whatever happened at Atmore that made it possible for her to get pregnant.”

John hesitated. “Dawn’s dying?”

“Yeah.” Dmitri suspected she knew. She’d held on for her son.

A second alarm sounded. 

“No more time. I have to take the baby. Do you know what a cesarean section is?”

John hesitated. “You’re cutting her open.”

“Yeah.”

“Is the retrovirus active?”

“No. That’s why I had trouble finding it.” For the first time since he’d arrived, he knew what he had to do. It wasn’t the first time he’d performed the operation. Whether it was a person or an animal, the odds of the mother surviving in his experience were not good. In Dawn’s case, there was nothing he could do but save her baby.

“What do you need me to do?”

 

John Hart sat on the edge of a medical cot holding Michael David. He’d never held a newborn. Dmitri had successfully saved the boy’s life but had a meltdown afterward. When Jack joined them in the infirmary, Dmitri was sitting on the floor against the opposite wall. 

“Dmitri, can you tend the baby?” Jack asked.

Reluctantly, Dmitri stood. “Yeah.”

After he accepted the baby, Jack led from the infirmary. From his body language, he wanted to discuss something and didn’t know how. John wondered what could be difficult after everything. As Time Agents they’d seen and done insane things. Ironically, they’d been introduced to Torchwood in much the same way by very different people. Jack had been abducted, tortured, threatened and finally bribed. John was abducted, bribed and manipulated. After everything, John couldn’t miss the similarities between the Time Agency and Torchwood.

“I need to ask a favor.” 

John already figured that much. “What?”

They continued toward the main entrance in silence for a few minutes.

“We have a paperwork problem with the baby.” Jack sounded uneasy.

“Michael David,” John said. Dawn decided on the baby’s name on Christmas Eve. 

Jack nodded. “Ianto figured out how to generate the paperwork for a marriage in case Dawn preferred widow to single mother. With Dawn gone, the only way to avoid social services and a custody issue is if Dawn was married. Dmitri would agree, but he couldn’t handle the baby.”

“If I’m married to Dawn, no would question the baby’s paternity. My name would automatically be on the paperwork?” 

“Yeah.”

“You want to give Ken a newborn? After the mall, finding out Dawn died is going to be worse.”

“Ianto and Dmitri would help. You’ve been seen with Dawn. The text messages Ken and Dawn exchanged sounded like more than friends. Anyone looking would see an unconventional relationship.”

“What about Ianto?” John countered. “He wants a kid. If you can fake a marriage, you can fake a surrogacy agreement or preliminary adoption papers.”

“Ianto still has stress issues; he couldn’t handle it right now. Ken has experience caring for his sisters’ babies.”

“I don’t know.” A memory came to mind as they left the back hallway and entered the main area in front of the large door. Morpheus’ words at the London sleep center returned.  One day your son will save the world. “What do you need me to sign?”

 

Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland

Keara Montfert:

In the moment Dawn Sowell took her last breath, one thread ended and another began. For life is a pattern. Each thread seems inconsequential when compared to the loom. But the weave is a delicate balance. Each thread contributes to the emerging picture. One small change can alter the entire image. One mistake can cause the very fabric of reality to unravel. 


End file.
